Method and system for access control with modulated lights

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10445948-B2
Application number	US-201615345551-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Nov 8, 2016
Priority date	Jun 24, 2016
Publication date	Oct 15, 2019
Grant date	Oct 15, 2019

Abstract

A method for access control in an access control system for people or vehicles comprising at least one access control device. In the method the at least one access control device, using a selective modulation of the frequency, spatial modulation and/or optional temporal modulation of light emitted by a specified number of light sources, transmits information that can be received and demodulated by a mobile electronic device having a camera. The information sent by the access control device contains a unique ID of the access control device, which is used to control the access control device in accordance with data transmitted to the access control system by a mobile electronic device which receives the information transmitted.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A method for access control in an access control system for persons or vehicles, having at least one access control device, the method comprising:
using the at least one access control device for at least one of a selective modulation of the frequency and a spatial modulation and a temporal modulation of light emitted by a specified number of light sources ( 5 ), to transmit information;
receiving and demodulating the information with a mobile electronic device ( 4 ) comprising a camera;
including in the information sent by the access control device, a unique ID of the access control device, which is used to control the access control device in accordance with data transmitted to the access control system by the mobile electronic device ( 4 ) which receives the transmitted information;
at least one of designing, arranging and screening the light sources ( 5 ) in such a way that the light emissions are receivable in a defined area around the access control device, in which, in a case of an access control mechanism for persons only one person, and in a case of an access control mechanism for vehicles only one vehicle, can be located;
after the reception of the ID by the mobile electronic device ( 4 ), sending the information containing the ID of the access control device and identification data of the user carrying the mobile electronic device ( 4 ), via a communication channel, to the access control system, the information comprising at least one unique ID of the user or of the mobile electronic device; and
unlocking a locking element of the access control device which sent the information received by the mobile electronic device ( 4 ), either if on entering the area covered by the access control system, the user is identified as a registered user on the basis of either the user's ID or the mobile electronic device ( 4 ), or if based on the user's identification data the user is uniquely identified, or if on leaving the area covered by the access control system, necessary access fees have been paid, which in the case of the registered user is effected by debiting the user's bank account or credit card, and in the case of the registered user, payment of the fee is made automatically and in a case of a non-registered user, when making the payment the ID of the user or of the mobile electronic device ( 4 ) is read out or is transmitted to the access control system via an app.

2. The method for access control according to claim 1 , further comprising the camera of the mobile electronic device ( 4 ) creates a single image, a sequence of single images with a defined time interval or a video which contains the information that was sent, which is demodulated and analyzed using suitable software.

3. The method for access control according to claim 1 , further comprising the information sent by the access control device contains other information in addition to the unique ID of the access control device, the other information being either location-related information or event-related information.

4. The method for access control according to claim 3 , further comprising, if based on the transmitted ID of the mobile electronic device ( 4 ), the user is identified as a member of Technical Support, then immediately after the identification, status information about the access control device can be transmitted, so that before any inspection of the access control device, initial information related to its status is available.

5. The method for access control according to claim 1 , further comprising the frequency of the light emissions of the light sources ( 5 ) lies exclusively in a frequency spectrum which is not visible to a human eye.

6. The method for access control according to claim 1 , further comprising the information to be transmitted selectively changes in different consecutive time slots of an observation period, the displayable information per time slot depends on the information transmitted in preceding time slots associated with the same observation period, an ON-OFF ratio of the light sources ( 5 ) is identical over the entire observation period at an end of the observation period for all light sources ( 5 ), which ensures a homogeneous brightness or intensity of the displayed area, the exact number of states is identical for all of the light sources ( 5 ), all spectral ranges used for all of the light sources ( 5 ) are used precisely once in the observation period, such that averaged over the observation period, as long as the change occurs sufficiently rapidly for the human eye, a uniform color mixture is obtained.

7. An access control system for persons or vehicles, the access control system comprising:
at least one access control device,
a side of the at least one access control device facing incoming persons or vehicles comprises a plurality of light sources ( 5 ),
light emissions of the light sources being modulated with regard to at least one of frequency, spatially and temporally,
the modulation can be used to send information that is receivable and demodulatable by a mobile electronic device ( 4 ) comprising a camera,
the light sources ( 5 ) being at least one of designed, arranged and screened in such a way that the light emissions being receivable in a defined area around the access control device, in which in a case of an access control mechanism for persons only one person, and in a case of an access control mechanism for vehicles only one vehicle, can be located,
the information sent by the access control device contains a unique ID of the access control device, which is used to control the access control device in accordance with data transmitted to the access control system by the mobile electronic device ( 4 ) which receives the transmitted information, and
in the case of an access control system for vehicles, the at least one access control device of which comprises a barrier arm ( 2 ), aside of the barrier arm ( 2 ) facing incoming vehicles comprises a plurality of LEDs, the light emissions of which can be modulated with regard to at least one of frequency, spatially and temporally.

8. An access control system for persons or vehicles, the access control system comprising:
at least one access control device;
a side of the at least one access control device facing incoming persons or vehicles comprises a plurality of light sources ( 5 );
light emissions of the light sources being modulated with regard to at least one of frequency, spatially and temporally, and the modulation can be used to send information that is receivable and demodulatable by a mobile electronic device ( 4 ) comprising a camera;
the light sources ( 5 ) being at least one of designed, arranged and screened in such a way that the light emissions are receivable in a defined area around the access control device, in which in a case of an access control mechanism for persons only one person, and in a case of an access control mechanism for vehicles only one vehicle, can be located; and
the information sent by the access control device containing a unique ID of the access control device, which is used to control the access control device in accordance with data transmitted to the access control system by the mobile electronic device ( 4 ) which receives the transmitted information;
wherein in a case of an access control system for persons, the at least one access control device has a display, a background lighting of the display is modulated with regard to its frequency, spatially and temporally, or in a case of an access control system for persons a side of the at least one access control device facing towards the approaching persons comprises a plurality of LEDs, the light emissions of which is modulated with regard to frequency, spatially an

Assignees

• Skidata Ag

Inventors

• Clemente Jorge
• Schlechter Thomas

Classifications

• G07C9/27

  with central registration · CPC title

• G07C9/20

  involving the use of a pass · CPC title

• G07C2009/00785

  by light · CPC title

• G07B15/04

  comprising devices to free a barrier, turnstile, or the like {(turnstiles with registering means G07C9/10; coin-freed aspects G07F17/00)} · CPC title

• G07B15/02 Primary

  taking into account a variable factor such as distance or time, e.g. for passenger transport, parking systems or car rental systems (G07B15/06 takes precedence; taximeters G07B13/00; parking meters per se G07F17/24) · CPC title