Access system for a vehicle and method for managing access to a vehicle

• US 9,990,785 B2
• Filed: 06/04/2014
• Issued: 06/05/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 12/22/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Airbus Operations GmbH (Airbus SE)
• Original Assignee: Airbus Operations GmbH (Airbus SE)
• Inventors: God, Ralf, Hintze, Hartmut
• Primary Examiner(s): Brown, Vernal
• Application Number:
  US14/295,537
• Publication Number:
  US 20160148449A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,462 Days
• Field of Search: 340 56
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 9/00817 where the code of the lock can be programmed
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 9/257 electronically G07C9/26 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 9/26 using a biometric sensor integrated in the pass
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 9/27 with central registration

Abstract

An access system for a vehicle is provided. The access system includes a central rights management unit, an access control device, and a portable identification medium. The access control device makes it possible to run verification mechanisms on the identification medium with the use of input means for interacting with a user. To this effect the identification medium includes an authentication unit and also a data part that depends on it which for viral epidemic propagation of privilege data may forward this data to access control devices without its own data connection. Even in the case of an incomplete infrastructure, extensive vehicle movements and very substantial fluctuations in personnel it is nevertheless possible to achieve very high security and reliability of enabling access and vehicle functions.

Claims

1. An access system for an aircraft, comprising:

a central rights management unit for interlinking and providing user identification and associated user rights,

at least a first access control terminal situated outside of the aircraft, wherein the at least a first access control terminal comprises a data connection to the central rights management unit,

a second access control terminal that does not comprise a direct connection to the central rights management unit,

at least one portable identification medium that includes an authentication unit and is configured, in the authentication unit, to run through verification mechanisms for user authentication, and to transmit to the at least a first access control terminal information relating to a user authentication that has been carried out, and

at least one input means for interacting with a user,

wherein the at least a first access control terminal includes a connecting means for connection to the at least one portable identification medium and the at least a first access control terminal is configured to enable the associated user rights for an authorized user,

wherein the at least one portable identification medium comprises an independent data part for storing updated user privilege data related to multiple users, which may or may not include the actual holder of the portable identification medium, the user privilege data being obtained from the central rights management unit via the at least a first access control terminal,

wherein the second access control terminal is configured to retrieve and store the updated user privilege data from the independent data part to acquire knowledge of current associated user rights on the basis of the stored user privilege data that are called up from the portable identification medium,

wherein the first and second access control terminals are configured to perform functions related to user authentication based on security data stored on the portable identification medium and accessed by the access control terminals during a user authentication procedure, and

wherein the at least one portable identification medium is configured to store time stamp priority information associated with the updated user privilege data stored by the at least one portable identification medium, and wherein the at least one access control terminal is configured to;

call up the time stamp priority information from the at least one portable identification medium, compare the called up time stamp priority information with other time stamp priority information relating to other known user privilege data, and make a decision as to which set of user privilege data to use, based on comparing the called up time stamp priority information with the other time stamp priority information.

2. The access system of claim 1, wherein the at least one input means is integrated in the at least one portable identification medium.

3. The access system of claim 1, wherein the at least one input means is integrated in the at least one access control terminal.

4. The access system of claim 1, wherein the authentication unit is configured to carry out authentication without a data connection.

5. The access system of claim 1, wherein the authentication unit is configured to transmit to the at least one access control terminal information relating to successful authentication of a user and abstract user identification.

6. The access system of claim 1, further comprising an electrical interface as a connecting means, which electrical interface is configured to establish a contact-based connection to the at least one access control terminal.

7. The access system of claim 1, wherein the at least one portable identification medium comprises a transmitting and receiving device that is configured, for the purpose of data transmission, to wirelessly communicate with an external transmitting and receiving device.

8. The access system of claim 1, wherein the first access control terminal is positioned in an airport building, and a second access control terminal without a data connection to a central rights management unit is associated with at least one aircraft outside the airport building.

9. A method for managing access for an aircraft, comprising the steps of:

connecting an identification medium comprising an authentication unit to a connecting means of a first access control terminal, the first access control terminal being situated outside the aircraft and having a data connection to a central rights management unit;

inquiring features of a user for authentication by way of an input means by the authentication unit;

verifying the correctness of the inquired features on the basis of data in the authentication unit;

after successful verification, transmitting information stating that the user has successfully authenticated themselves and stating the particular group of which the user forms part, from the authentication unit to the access control device;

correlating the user group with privilege data for receiving concrete user rights;

authorizing the user with concrete user rights;

calling up updated privilege data related to multiple users, which may or may not include the actual holder of the portable identification medium, from the central rights management unit by the access control terminal;

transmitting the updated privilege data to the identification medium;

calling up and storing updated privilege data from the identification medium by a second access control terminal to acquire knowledge of current associated user rights, provided no data connection exists between the second access control terminal and the central rights management unit;

providing time stamp priority information by the at least one portable identification medium, the time stamp priority information associated with the updated privilege data;

calling up time stamp priority information from the at least one portable identification medium by the at least one access control terminal;

comparing the called up time stamp priority information from the at least one portable identification medium with other time stamp priority information relating to to other known user privilege data; and

making a decision as to which set of user privilege data to use, based on comparing the called up time stamp priority information with the other time stamp priority information;

wherein the first and second access control terminals are configured to perform functions related to user authentication based on security data stored on the portable identification medium and accessed by the access control terminals during a user authentication procedure.