Access control in location tracking system

• US 9,430,888 B2
• Filed: 12/19/2011
• Issued: 08/30/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 12/21/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: 9Solutions Oy
• Original Assignee: 9Solutions Oy
• Inventors: Herrala, Sami
• Primary Examiner(s): BROWN, VERNAL U
• Application Number:
  US13/330,133
• Publication Number:
  US 20120154115A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,716 Days
• Field of Search: 340/5.64
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 2009/00333 and the lock having more than one limited data transmission ranges
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 2009/00373 whereby the wake-up circuit is situated in the lock
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 2009/0038 whereby the wake-up circuit is situated in the keyless data carrier
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 2209/64 using a proximity sensor
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 9/00658 operated by passive electrical keys
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 9/27 with central registration
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 9/28 the pass enabling tracking or indicating presence

Abstract

A method for controlling access in a location tracking system is provided. In response to detection of the presence of a mobile tag of the location tracking system in an area having at least one access control device, a location tracking device of the location tracking system activates the access control device to initiate establishment of a communication connection with the mobile tag so as to negotiate access rights of the mobile tag.

Claims

1. A method for controlling access in a location tracking system using a location tracking apparatus comprising a radio network of location tracking nodes disposed in a predetermined coverage area, and an access control apparatus configured to communicate with the location tracking apparatus via the radio network of the location tracking nodes, the method comprising:

tracking, by the location tracking apparatus, a location of at least one mobile tag in the predetermined coverage area of the location tracking system based on a location update message from the mobile tag or from at least one of the location tracking nodes, wherein the location tracking apparatus comprises a plurality of wireless transceivers operating as said location tracking nodes;

detecting presence of the mobile tag, by the location tracking apparatus on the basis of a current association between the mobile tag and at least one of the location tracking nodes in a determined area, of the predetermined coverage area, associated with said at least one of the locations tracking nodes and at least one access-controlled entity, wherein each access-controlled entity is associated with the access control apparatus deactivated during the detection; and

transmitting an activation signal from the location tracking apparatus to the access control apparatus in response to the detection of the mobile tag in the determined area, in order to activate the access control apparatus to initiate establishment of a wireless communication connection between the mobile tag and the access control apparatus so as to negotiate about access to the access-controlled entity.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

deactivating a transmitter of the access control apparatus when no mobile tag is detected in the determined area; and

in response to the detection of the mobile tag in the determined area, activating the transmitter of the access control apparatus to transmit a connection establishment signal.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the wireless transceivers form a wireless communication network connecting the location tracking apparatus to the mobile tag, and wherein the at least one of the activation signals is transmitted through the wireless communication network.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

configuring the access control apparatus to establish the communication connection with the mobile tag by using a first transmission power;

carrying out a verification procedure comprising communication with the mobile tag by using a second transmission power lower than the first transmission power, thus enabling verification whether or not the mobile tag is in close proximity of the access control apparatus; and

granting access to the mobile tag, if the tag is allowed to access the access-controlled entity and if the verification procedure results in successful communication between the access control apparatus and the mobile tag.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the communication connection between the access control apparatus and the mobile tag is maintained or put on hold between the establishment of the communication connection and the verification procedure.

6. The method of claim 4, further comprising:

detecting, by a proximity sensor provided in the access control apparatus, a close proximity of the mobile tag with respect to the access control apparatus; and

triggering the verification procedure by the detection of the close proximity of the mobile tag.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the determined area comprises a plurality of access control entities.

8. A location tracking system comprising:

a location tracking apparatus comprising a radio network of location tracking nodes disposed in a predetermined coverage area;

an access control apparatus configured to communicate with the location tracking apparatus via the radio network of the location tracking nodes;

the location tracking apparatus further comprising;

at least one processor; and

at least one memory including program instructions, wherein the at least one memory and the computer program code are configured, with the at least one processor, to cause the location tracking apparatus to;

track a location of at least one mobile tag in the predetermined coverage area of the location tracking system based on a location update message from the mobile tag or from at least one of the location tracking nodes, wherein the location tracking apparatus comprises a plurality of wireless transceivers operating as said location tracking nodes;

detect, on the basis of a current association between the mobile tag and at least one of the location tracking nodes in a determined area, of the predetermined coverage area, associated with said at least one of the location tracking nodes and at least one access-controlled entity, wherein each access-controlled entity is associated with access control apparatus deactivated during the detection; and

transmit an activation signal from the location tracking apparatus to the access control apparatus, in response to the detection of the mobile tag in the determined area, in order to activate the access control apparatus to initiate establishment of a wireless communication connection between the mobile tag and the access control apparatus so as to negotiate about access to the access-controlled entity.

9. The system of claim 8, the access control apparatus further comprising:

a transceiver;

at least one processor; and

at least one memory including program instructions, wherein the at least one memory and the computer program code are configured, with the at least one processor, to cause the access control apparatus to;

communicate with the mobile tag and the location tracking apparatus, to deactivate a transmitter of the transceiver when no mobile tag is detected in the determined area and, in response to the detection of the mobile tag in the determined area, to activate the transmitter to transmit a connection establishment signal.

10. The system of claim 8, the mobile tag further comprising:

at least one processor; and

at least one memory including program instructions, wherein the at least one memory and the computer program code are configured, with the at least one processor, to cause the mobile tag to, in response to the detection of the mobile tag in the determined area, initiate establishment of the wireless communication connection with the at least one access control apparatus in the determined area, wherein the location tracking apparatus is further configured to activate the mobile tag by causing transmission of another activation signal from the location tracking apparatus to the access control apparatus.

11. The system of claim 8, wherein the wireless transceivers form a wireless communication network connecting the location tracking apparatus to the mobile tag, and wherein the at least one of the activation signals is transmitted through the wireless communication network.

12. The system of claim 8, the access control apparatus further comprising:

a transceiver;

at least one processor; and

at least one memory including program instructions, wherein the at least one memory and the computer program code are configured, with the at least one processor, to cause the access control apparatus to;

cause the transceiver to use a first transmission power when establishing the communication connection with the mobile tag by;

carry out a verification procedure comprising communication with the mobile tag by causing the transceiver to use a second transmission power lower than the first transmission power, thus enabling verification whether or not the mobile tag is in close proximity of the access control apparatus; and

grant access to the mobile tag, if the mobile tag is allowed to access the access-controlled entity and if the verification procedure results in successful communication between the access control apparatus and the mobile tag.

13. The system of claim 12, wherein the at least one memory and the computer program code are configured, with the at least one processor, to cause the access control apparatus to maintain or put on hold the communication connection with the mobile tag between the establishment of the communication connection and the verification procedure.

14. The system of claim 12, wherein the access control apparatus comprises a proximity sensor configured to detect close presence of mobile tags through magnetic or electromagnetic interaction, and wherein the at least one memory and the computer program code are configured, with the at least one processor, to cause the access control apparatus to trigger the verification procedure by the detection of the close proximity of the mobile tag by the proximity sensor.

16. The system of claim 8, wherein the determined area comprises a plurality of access control entities.

15. A computer program product embodied on a non-transitory distribution medium readable by a computer and comprising program instructions which, when loaded into an apparatus, uses a location tracking comprising a radio network of location tracking nodes disposed in a predetermined coverage area, and an access control apparatus configured to communicate with the location tracking apparatus via the radio network of the location tracking nodes, to execute a computer process comprising:

tracking a location of at least one mobile tag in the predetermined coverage area of the location tracking system based on a location update message from the mobile tag or from at least one of the location tracking nodes, wherein the location tracking apparatus comprises a plurality of wireless transceivers operating as said location tracking nodes;

detecting presence of the mobile tag, by the location tracking apparatus on the basis of a current association between the mobile tag and at least one of the location tracking nodes in a determined area, of the predetermined coverage area, associated with said at least one of the location tracking nodes and at least one access-controlled entity, wherein each access-controlled entity is associated with the access control apparatus deactivated during the detection; and

transmitting an activation signal from the location tracking apparatus to the access control apparatus in response to the detection of the mobile tag in the determined area in order to activate the access control apparatus to initiate establishment of a wireless communication connection between the mobile tag and the access control apparatus so as to negotiate about access to the access-controlled entity.