Magnetic fingerprinting for proximity-based systems

• US 10,182,309 B2
• Filed: 03/30/2016
• Issued: 01/15/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 03/30/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Honeywell International Inc.
• Original Assignee: Honeywell International Inc.
• Inventors: Mahasenan, Arun Vijayakumari, Kulkarni, Amit
• Primary Examiner(s): Nguyen, Nam V
• Application Number:
  US15/085,052
• Publication Number:
  US 20170289753A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,021 Days
• Field of Search: 340 52, 340 527, 340 53, 340 57, 315149, 315292, 701200, 701215, 701220, 701 23
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/08 involving use of the magnetic field of the earth
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 2009/00555 comprising means to detect or avoid relay attacks
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 2009/00769 with data transmission performed by wireless means
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 2009/0096 Electronic keys comprising a non-biometric sensor
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 2209/63 Comprising locating means for detecting the position of the data carrier, i.e. within the vehicle or within a certain distance from the vehicle
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 9/29 the pass containing active electronic elements, e.g. smartcards
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/021 Services related to particular areas, e.g. point of interest [POI] services, venue services or geofences
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/023 using mutual or relative location information between multiple location based services [LBS] targets or of distance thresholds
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/80 Services using short range communication, e.g. near-field communication [NFC], radio-frequency identification [RFID] or low energy communication

Abstract

Systems, devices, and methods for magnetic fingerprinting for proximity-based systems are described herein. One device includes instructions stored thereon executable by a processor to receive location information associated with a mobile device in a facility, determine that the mobile device is within a particular distance of an area of the facility based on the location information, determine magnetic field information associated with the mobile device, and allow access to the area via a relay associated with the area responsive to a determination that the user is allowed access based on the magnetic field information.

Claims

1. A non-transitory computer-readable medium having instructions stored thereon executable by a processor to:

receive location information associated with a mobile device in a facility;

determine that the mobile device is within a geofence associated with an area of the facility based on the location information;

responsive to determining that the mobile device is within the geofence, determine magnetic field information using a magnetic sensor of the mobile device, wherein the determined magnetic field information includes a determined level of a naturally-occurring magnetic field, and a determined direction of the naturally-occurring magnetic field; and

allow access to the area via a relay associated with the area responsive to a determination that;

the determined level of the naturally-occurring magnetic field matches a known level of a magnetic fingerprint within the geofence; and

the determined direction of the naturally-occurring magnetic field matches a known direction of the magnetic fingerprint within the geofence.

2. The computer-readable medium of claim 1, wherein the instructions include instructions to determine the magnetic field information responsive to a communication being established between the mobile device and a beacon of the facility.

3. The computer-readable medium of claim 1, wherein the magnetic fingerprint of the facility includes a known level of a magnetic field at a particular location and a known direction of the magnetic field at the particular location.

4. The computer-readable medium of claim 3, wherein the instructions to allow access to the area include instructions to allow access responsive to a determination that a comparison between a level of the magnetic field included in the magnetic field information and the known level of the magnetic field of the magnetic fingerprint exceeds a particular threshold.

5. The computer-readable medium of claim 3, wherein the instructions to allow access to the area include instructions to allow access responsive to:

a comparison between a level of the magnetic field included in the magnetic field information and the known level of the magnetic field of the magnetic fingerprint exceeding a particular threshold; and

a comparison between a direction of the magnetic field included in the magnetic field information and the known direction of the magnetic field of the magnetic fingerprint exceeding a particular threshold.

6. A method for magnetic fingerprinting for proximity-based systems, comprising:

receiving an indication that a mobile device is in communication with a beacon in a facility;

responsive to receiving the indication that the mobile device is in communication with the beacon, determining magnetic field information associated with a particular geographic location of the mobile device using a magnetic sensor of the mobile device while the mobile device is in communication with the beacon, wherein the determined magnetic field information includes a determined level of a naturally-occurring magnetic field at the particular geographic location, and a determined direction of the naturally-occurring magnetic field at the particular geographic location;

comparing the determined magnetic field information to a stored location-based magnetic fingerprint associated with the particular geographic location; and

changing an operation of a proximity-based device responsive to a determination that;

the determined level of the naturally-occurring magnetic field at the particular geographic location matches a known level of the location-based magnetic fingerprint at the particular geographic location; and

the determined direction of the naturally-occurring magnetic field at the particular location matches a known direction of the location-based magnetic fingerprint at the particular geographic location.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the proximity-based device is a relay of an access control system of the facility.

8. The method of claim 6, wherein each of the magnetic field information and the stored magnetic field information includes a respective level component and a respective direction component.

9. The method of claim 6, wherein the method includes:

receiving another indication that the mobile device is in communication with another beacon in the facility while the mobile device is in communication with the beacon in the facility;

determining magnetic field information associated with another geographic location of the mobile device while the mobile device is in communication with the beacon and the other beacon;

comparing the determined magnetic field information to the stored magnetic field information associated with the other geographic location; and

changing the operation of the proximity-based device responsive to the comparison exceeding a particular threshold.

10. A system for providing access control via a mobile device, comprising:

a beacon;

an access control system configured to determine an area of a facility to which a user is authorized access;

the mobile device configured to;

establish a communication with the beacon at a particular location; and

responsive to the establishment of the communication, determine magnetic field information associated with the location using a magnetic sensor of the mobile device, wherein the determined magnetic field information includes a determined level of a naturally-occurring magnetic field at the particular location, and a determined direction of the naturally-occurring magnetic field at the particular location;

a relay configured to grant the user access to the area of the facility responsive to;

the establishment of the communication; and

a determination that;

the determined level of the naturally-occurring magnetic field at the location matches a known level of a magnetic fingerprint at the location; and

the determined direction of the naturally-occurring magnetic field at the location matches a known direction of a magnetic fingerprint at the location.

11. The system of claim 10, wherein the access control system is remote with respect to the facility.

12. The system of claim 10, wherein the access control system is local with respect to the facility.

13. The system of claim 10, wherein the beacon is Bluetooth low energy beacon.

14. The system of claim 10, wherein the magnetic fingerprint associated with the location is determined by the mobile device before the magnetic field information associated with the location.

15. The system of claim 14, wherein the magnetic fingerprint is determined responsive to a first user input and wherein the magnetic field information is determined responsive to a second user input.