Hub key service

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9710982-B2
Application number	US-201213726043-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Dec 22, 2012
Priority date	Dec 23, 2011
Publication date	Jul 18, 2017
Grant date	Jul 18, 2017

Abstract

In embodiments of a hub key service, a device includes a communication interface for communication coordination with one or more associated devices of the device, and the associated devices correspond to hub members. A hub manager is implemented to generate an electronic key that includes access permissions, which are configurable to enable controlled access for the hub members, such as to a building, vehicle, media device, or location. The hub manager can then correlate the electronic key with the device to enable access to the building, vehicle, media device, or location with the device utilized as the electronic key.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A hub member device, comprising:
one or more hardware processors;
one or more computer-readable storage media;
computer-readable instructions stored on the one or more computer-readable storage media which, when executed by the one or more hardware processors, implement a system comprising:
a communication interface configured to communicate with other devices; and
a hub manager that is configured to:
generate an electronic key that provides access permissions configurable to enable controlled access to at least one of a building or a vehicle;
selectively enable access to the building or the vehicle based at least on membership in a private data-sharing hub, the other devices including other hub member devices that are enabled for access to the building or the vehicle using the electronic key and other non-member devices that are not enabled for access to the building or the vehicle using the electronic key; and
modify the access permissions of the electronic key,
wherein the private data-sharing hub provides hub members with private access to shared content at least one of shared messages, a shared list, a shared calendar, shared images, shared events or shared video and using the hub member device and the other hub member devices.

2. The hub member device as recited in claim 1 , wherein the hub manager is configured to correlate the electronic key with an individual hub member device to enable an individual hub member to access to the building or the vehicle.

3. The hub member device as recited in claim 2 , wherein the hub manager is configured to modify the access permissions of the electronic key to restrict the individual hub member from accessing the building or the vehicle using the individual hub member device.

4. The hub member device as recited in claim 2 , wherein the hub manager is configured to modify the access permissions of the electronic key to limit the individual hub member from accessing the building or the vehicle after a designated time of day.

5. The hub member device as recited in claim 1 , wherein the hub manager is configured to monitor entry and exit accesses to the building with the electronic key.

6. The hub member device as recited in claim 1 , wherein the hub manager is configured to monitor use of the vehicle when the hub member computing device is utilized as the electronic key.

7. The hub member device as recited in claim 1 , wherein the access permissions of the electronic key are further configurable to enable controlled access to a media device by the hub members of the private data-sharing hub.

8. The hub member device as recited in claim 1 , wherein the hub manager is configured to:
receive a user input to enable a non-hub member to access to the building; and
initiate unlocking the building utilizing the electronic key.

9. The hub member device as recited in claim 1 , wherein the hub manager is configured to:
change the electronic key to a different electronic key;
correlate the different electronic key with the hub member computing device to enable access to the building or the vehicle with the hub member computing device utilized as the different electronic key; and
communicate the different electronic key to the other hub member devices to replace the electronic key.

10. A method, comprising:
generating an electronic key having associated access permissions that enable controlled access to at least one of a building or a vehicle;
selectively enabling access to the building or the vehicle based at least on membership in a private data-sharing hub, the access being enabled for hub members having associated hub member devices that use the electronic key to access the building or the vehicle;
modifying the access permissions of the electronic key to prevent an individual hub member from using an individual hub member device to access the building or the vehicle; and
allowing the hub members to use the associated hub member devices to privately share at least one of shared messages, a shared list, a shared calendar, shared images, shared events or shared video with other hub members using the associated hub member devices.

11. The method as recited in claim 10 , performed by another individual hub member device.

12. The method as recited in claim 10 , wherein the access permissions of the electronic key are modified to limit the individual hub member device from being used to access the building or the vehicle after a designated time of day.

13. The method as recited in claim 10 , further comprising monitoring entry and exit accesses to the building when the individual hub member device is utilized as the electronic key.

14. The method as recited in claim 10 , wherein the access permissions of the electronic key are further configurable to enable controlled access for the hub members to a media device.

15. The method as recited in claim 10 , further comprising:
receiving a user input to enable a non-hub member access to the building; and
initiating unlocking the building utilizing the electronic key.

16. The method as recited in claim 10 , further comprising:
changing the electronic key to a different electronic key;
correlating the different electronic key with the individual hub member device to enable the individual hub member to access to the building or the vehicle; and
communicating the different electronic key to the individual hub member device to replace the electronic key.

17. A computing device comprising:
one or more hardware processors; and
one or more computer-readable storage media embodying computer readable instructions which, when executed by the one or more hardware processors, cause the one or more hardware processors to:
generate an electronic key having associated access permissions that enable controlled access to at least one of a building or a vehicle;
selectively enable access to the building or the vehicle based at least on membership in a private data-sharing hub, the access being enabled for hub members having associated hub member devices that use the electronic key to access to building or the vehicle;
communicate the electronic key to the associated hub member devices; and
cause the associated hub member devices to privately share at least one of shared messages, a shared list, a shared calendar, shared images, shared events or shared video among the hub members of the private data-sharing hub.

18. The computing device as recited in claim 17 , embodied as an individual hub member device.

19. The computing device as recited in claim 17 , embodied as a cloud server.

20. The computing device as recited in claim 17 , wherein the computer readable instructions, when executed by the one or more hardware processors, cause the one or more hardware processors to:
receive a user input from an individual hub member device to enable a non-hub member access to the building; and
initiate unlocking the building utilizing the electronic key.

Assignees

• Microsoft Corp
• Microsoft Technology Licensing Llc

Inventors

• Matthews Iii Joseph H
• Vasudevan Lavanya
• Thomas Shawn M
• Schrader Joseph A
• Chen Ted Tai-Yu
• Sarin Raman K

Classifications

• H04W4/21 Primary

  for social networking applications · CPC title

• H04W12/08

  Access security · CPC title

• G06F3/0481

  based on specific properties of the displayed interaction object or a metaphor-based environment, e.g. interaction with desktop elements like windows or icons, or assisted by a cursor's changing behaviour or appearance · CPC title

• G07C2009/00769

  with data transmission performed by wireless means · CPC title

• H04L63/08

  for authentication of entities (cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for entity authentication H04L9/32) · CPC title