Access control system wherein the remote device is automatically updated with a central user list from the central station upon use of the remote device

• US 8,063,734 B2
• Filed: 11/06/2006
• Issued: 11/22/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 11/06/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Ingersoll-Rand Nexia Intelligence, LLC (Trane Technologies plc)
• Original Assignee: Harrow Products (Delaware) LLC (Allegion PLC)
• Inventors: Conforti, Fred J.
• Primary Examiner(s): Lee; Benjamin C
• Assistant Examiner(s): KING, CURTIS J
• Application Number:
  US11/556,866
• Publication Number:
  US 20080106369A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,842 Days
• Field of Search: 340/5.5
• US Class Current: 340/5.61
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 9/00174 Electronically operated locks; Circuits therefor; Nonmechanical keys therefor, e.g. passive or active electrical keys or other data carriers without mechanical keys mechanical locks with electric permutation E05B49/00; arrangements for sensing or reading record carriers G06K7/00; electronic switching H03K17/00
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 9/00563 using personal physical data of the operator, e.g. finger prints, retinal images, voicepatterns
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 9/00571 operated by interacting with a central unit
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 9/00658 operated by passive electrical keys
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 9/27 with central registration

Abstract

A method of operating an access control system including a remote control system configured to control a lock an a central control system configured to wirelessly communicate with the remote control system. The method includes inputting user data into a user identification reader of the remote control system, and in response to inputting user data, requesting updating a remote user list stored by the remote control system with a central user list stored by the central control system using a wireless communicator of the remote control system and a wireless communicator of the central control system. The method further includes comparing the user data with one of the remote user list and the central user list to determine whether to unlock the lock.

Claims

1. A method of operating an access control system including a remote control system configured to control a lock and a central control system configured to wirelessly communicate with the remote control system, the method comprising:

inputting user data into a user identification reader of the remote control system;

actively determining whether wireless communication is available between the central control system and the remote control system;

comparing the user data with a remote user list when wireless communication is unavailable to determine whether to unlock the lock;

solely in response to the inputting user data step, updating the remote user list stored by the remote control system with a central user list stored by the central control system using a wireless communicator of the remote control system and a wireless communicator of the central control system when wireless communication is available; and

comparing the user data with the remote user list after updating the remote user list to determine whether to unlock the lock;

wherein requesting updating the remote user list occurs after inputting user data and either a) before comparing the user data with the one of the remote user list and the central user list or b) when the user data is compared with the remote user list generally.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the user data is compared with the remote user list, and wherein updating the remote user list is completed before comparing the user data with the remote user list when wireless communication is available.

3. The method of claim 2, further comprising determining whether the updating the remote user list step is complete.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein if wireless communication is available, determining whether updating the remote user list is complete.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the user data is biometric user data.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising supplying power to the wireless communicator of the remote control system from a battery in response to inputting the user data into the user identification reader.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising restricting an amount of power supplied to the remote control system after comparing the user data with the one of the remote user list and the central user list.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein requesting updating the remote user list is initiated each time after inputting user data into the user identification reader of the remote control system.

9. The method of claim 1, further comprising transmitting the user data from the remote control system to the central control system, and wherein the user data is compared with the central user list to determine whether to unlock the lock.

10. The method of claim 1, further comprising transmitting the user data from the remote control system to the central control system, determining whether wireless communication is available between the remote control system and the central control system, if wireless communication is unavailable the user data is compared with the remote user list, if wireless communication is available the user data is compared with the central user list.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein if the user data is compared with the central user list to determine whether to unlock the lock and if the lock remains locked, then comparing the user data to the remote user list after updating the remote user list with the central user list.

12. The method of claim 6, further comprising restricting an amount of power supplied to the remote control system after comparing the user data with the remote user list.

13. An access control system comprising:

a central control system configured to store a central user list and operable to update the central user list, the central control system including a wireless communicator operable to transmit the central user list; and

a remote control system configured to store a remote user list, the remote control system including,

a remote access controller operable to actively determining whether wireless communication is available between the central control system and the remote control system, and compare the user data with a remote user list when wireless communication is unavailable to determine whether to unlock the lock;

a wireless communicator operable to receive the central user list from the central control system, and

a user identification reader operable to receive user data from a user of the remote control system, and wherein the remote control system initiates a wireless communication with the central control system solely in response to receipt of the user data to update the remote user list with the central user list, wherein the remote user list is compared to the user data to make an access decision and wherein that access decision is made after the remote user list is updated when wireless communication is available and is made without updating the remote user list when wireless communication is not available;

wherein requesting updating the remote user list occurs after inputting user data and either a) before comparing the user data with the one of the remote user list and the central user list or b) when the user data is compared with the remote user list generally.

14. The access control system of claim 13, wherein the user initiates the wireless communication when the user inputs the user data into the user identification reader.

15. The access control system of claim 13, wherein the user data is biometric user data.

16. The access control system of claim 13, wherein the remote control system further includes a battery that supplies power to the wireless communicator of the remote control system in response to the user inputting the user data into the user identification reader.