Automatic physical access

• US 9,972,144 B2
• Filed: 03/24/2015
• Issued: 05/15/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 03/24/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property I LP (AT&T, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property I LP (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: Klein, Craig Arthur, Harp, Gregory O., Sineath, Joseph Eric
• Primary Examiner(s): Jiang, Yong Hang
• Application Number:
  US14/666,356
• Publication Number:
  US 20160284139A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,148 Days
• Field of Search: 340 561, 340 51, 340 52, 340 57, 340 58
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/951 Indexing; Web crawling techniques
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/955 using information identifiers, e.g. uniform resource locators [URL]
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 2009/00769 with data transmission performed by wireless means
• 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 9/20 involving the use of a pass

Abstract

Physical access to secure areas is automatically performed based on presence or detection of a wireless device. A unique identifier of a wireless cellular device, for example, may be pre-authorized for occupants, employees, and tenants of a building. Contractors and vendors may also have their wireless cellular devices pre-approved for access. When the wireless cellular device is detected by a network serving the secure area, its unique identifier may be compared to databases or lists of approved cellular devices. Physical access may thus be automatically granted, based on possession of a recognized cellular device.

Claims

1. A system, comprising:

a processor; and

a memory device, the memory device storing instructions, the instructions when executed causing the processor to perform operations, the operations comprising;

receiving an access notification identifying cellular identifier associated with a wireless device, the wireless device requesting wireless access to a wireless network;

comparing the cellular identifier to invitees associated with a meeting;

determining a user associated with the wireless device is an invitee to a meeting based on the cellular identifier matching the invitees associated with the meeting;

querying an electronic database for a destination associated with the meeting, the electronic database electronically associating waypoints to destinations including the destination associated with the meeting;

determining the waypoints in the electronic database that are electronically associated with the destination associated with the meeting; and

generating an electronic entry instruction in response to the wireless device approaching the destination associated with the meeting.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the operations further comprise querying a database of meetings for the cellular identifier associated with the wireless device, the database of meetings electronically associating cellular identifiers as the invitees to the meeting.

3. The system of claim 2, wherein the operations further comprise determining the cellular identifier matches at least one of the invitees to the meeting in the electronic database of meetings.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the operations further comprise sending a packetized electronic notification message via a communications network to a network address, the packetized electronic notification message notifying of a physical entry of the invitee.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the operations further comprise monitoring a location associated with the wireless device.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein the operations further comprise determining the wireless device is requesting the access to the wireless network too early to permit a physical entry.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein the operations further comprise determining the user associated with the wireless device is not the invitee to the meeting.

8. The system of claim 7, wherein the operations further comprise denying a physical entry in response to the user not being the invitee.

9. A method, comprising:

receiving, at a server, an access notification identifying a cellular identifier associated with a wireless device requesting access to a wireless network;

comparing, by the server, the cellular identifier to invitees associated with a meeting;

determining, by the server, a user associated with the wireless device is an invitee to the meeting based on the cellular identifier matching the invitees associated with the meeting;

querying, by the server, an electronic database for a destination associated with the meeting, the electronic database electronically associating waypoints to destinations including the destination associated with the meeting;

identifying, by the server, the waypoints in the electronic database that are electronically associated with the destination associated with the meeting; and

generating, by the server, an electronic entry instruction in response to the wireless device approaching the destination associated with the meeting according to the waypoints.

10. The method of claim 9, further comprising querying a database of meetings for the cellular identifier associated with the wireless device, the database of meetings electronically associating cellular identifiers as the invitees to the meeting.

11. The method of claim 10, further comprising matching the cellular identifier as one of the invitees to the meeting.

12. The method of claim 9, further comprising sending a packetized electronic notification message via a communications network for routing to a network address, the packetized electronic notification message notifying of a physical entry.

13. The method of claim 9, further comprising sending a packetized electronic notification message via a communications network for routing to a network address, the packetized electronic notification message notifying of the wireless device straying from the waypoints.

14. The method of claim 9, further comprising determining network identifiers as the waypoints.

15. The method of claim 9, further comprising determining global positioning system information as the waypoints.

16. The method of claim 15, further comprising determining service set identifiers as the waypoints.

17. A memory device storing instructions that when executed cause a processor to perform operations, the operations comprising:

receiving an access notification identifying a cellular identifier associated with a wireless device requesting access to a wireless network serving a secure area;

querying an electronic database of meetings for the cellular identifier, the electronic database of meetings electronically associating cellular identifiers as invitees to a meeting;

identifying the cellular identifier as one of the cellular identifiers electronically associated to the meeting;

determining a user associated with the wireless device is an invitee of the invitees to the meeting;

querying an electronic database for a destination associated with the meeting, the electronic database electronically associating waypoints to destinations including the destination associated with the meeting;

identifying the waypoints in the electronic database that are electronically associated with the destination associated with the meeting;

comparing locations associated with the wireless device to the waypoints that are electronically associated with the destination associated with the meeting; and

generating an electronic entry instruction in response to the wireless device approaching the destination associated with the meeting according to the waypoints.

18. The memory device of claim 17, wherein the operations further comprise matching the cellular identifier associated with the wireless device to the cellular identifiers electronically associated to the meeting.

19. The memory device of claim 17, wherein the operations further comprise determining the wireless device strays from the waypoints.

20. The memory device of claim 18, wherein the operations further comprise sending a packetized electronic notification message via a communications network for routing to a network address associated with the wireless device, the electronic notification message notifying the invitee to resume a route according to the waypoints.