Method and system for permitting remote check-in and coordinating access control

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9818244-B2
Application number	US-201414273817-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	May 9, 2014
Priority date	Jan 29, 2010
Publication date	Nov 14, 2017
Grant date	Nov 14, 2017

Abstract

Methods, systems, and devices for controlling access within a multi-facility room are provided. More specifically, a guest of the multi-room facility is allowed to remotely confirm reservations to the facility as well as bypass the front desk of the multi-room for check-in purposes. At a location within the facility, the guest is allowed to confirm their arrival, check-in, and have their access credential written with personalized access data that may be useable for the duration of the guest's stay.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An access control module, comprising:
a network interface to a network;
a logic unit configured to make a determination to either permit or deny user access to an asset controlled by a networked access control module;
the logic unit configured to access via the network, a list of credential identifiers that identifies credentials allowed to perform remote check-in and store the list of credential identifiers as a locally-maintained list of credential identifiers; and
a provisioning module configured to perform the following functions during a single transaction with an access credential without requiring the access control module to utilize the network:
receive a credential identifier from the access credential that corresponds to credentials of a guest that has been authorized to check-in to the facility, but that currently has no access permissions for assets within the facility;
compare the credential identifier to the locally-maintained list of the credential identifiers;
determine that the credential identifier matches at least one credential identifier in the list of credential identifiers; and
based on determining that the credential identifier matches at least one credential identifier in the list of credential identifiers, invoke the access control module to encode the access credential that presented the credential identifier to the provisioning module with access data that is useable by the access credential with other access control modules within the facility.

2. The access control module of claim 1 , wherein upon completion of the single transaction, the access control module connect to the network, via the network interface, and reports to at least one of a centralized database and centralized access control logic a successful check-in transaction has occurred.

3. The access control module of claim 1 , wherein the network interface to the network is a cellular telephony interface to a cellular telephony network.

4. The access control module of claim 1 , wherein the network interface to the network is a wireless interface, comprising at least one of radio-frequency, magnetic, and light-based data transmission and reception, to a wireless network comprising at least reception and transmission equipment operable to transmit and receive data with the network interface.

5. The access control module of claim 1 , wherein the logic unit is further configured to, upon successfully accessing the list of credential identifiers, disconnect from the network.

6. The access control module of claim 1 , wherein the provisioning module invokes the local access control logic to encode the access credential with the access data after determining that the credential identifier matches at least one credential identifier in the list of credential identifiers and wherein the provisioning module is further configured to perform the following functions during the single transaction:
request the access credential to provide the access data back to the access control module;
receive the access data back from the access control module;
determine the access data matches data that was supposed to be written by the access control module; and
after determining that the credential identifier matches at least one credential identifier in the list of credential identifiers and after determining that the access data matches data that was supposed to be written by the access control module, remove the credential identifier from the list of credential identifiers; and
after completion of the single transaction, connect to the network and report a successful check-in to the centralized access control logic via the network.

7. The access control module of claim 6 , wherein, prior to having the access credential presented to the access control module and after reservations have been confirmed for a user of the access credential, the centralized access control logic generates and sends at least one message to the access control module via the network causing the access control module to add the credential identifier to the list of credential identifiers and wherein after the centralized access control logic receives the report via the network of the successful check-in from the access control module, the centralized access control logic generates and sends messages to other access control modules within the facility thereby causing each of the other access control modules to update their locally-maintained lists of credential identifiers to reflect the successful check-in.

8. A method of operating a facility having a first location with a credential programming system located in proximity therewith and a plurality of access control modules located within the facility, a first of the access control modules being at a location remote from the first location and comprising local access control logic configured to make a determination to either permit or deny user access to an asset controlled by the first access control module and a provisioning module configured to perform check-in operations similar to the credential programming system, the method comprising:
connecting, using a network, the first access control module to a central access control logic to obtain a list of credential identifier and upon successfully obtaining the list of credential identifiers, terminating the connection between the first access control module and the central access control logic;
establishing an inductive Radio Frequency (RF) coupling between the first access control module and an access credential;
receiving, at the first access control module and via the RF coupling, a message from the access credential, the message including a credential identifier;
extracting, by the first access control module and while the RF coupling is still established between the first access control module and the access credential, the credential identifier from the message;
comparing, by the first access control module and while the RF coupling is still established between the first access control module and the access credential, the credential identifier with credential identifiers contained within the list of credential identifiers maintained at the first access control module, the list of credential identifiers comprising credential identifiers that correspond to credentials of a guest that is authorized to check-in to the facility at a location other than the first location;
determining, while the RF coupling is still established between the first access control module and the access credential, that the credential identifier matches at least one credential identifier in the list of credential identifiers; and
based on determining that the credential identifier matches at least one credential identifier in the list of credential identifiers, encoding, by the first access control module and via the RF coupling, the access credential that presented the credential identifier to the first access control module with access data that enables the access credential to verify access permissions with the plurality of access control modules within the facility;
wherein the establishing, receiving, extracting, comparing, determining, and encoding steps are performed by the first access control module without requiring the first access control module to communicate with a central access control logic to obtain the credential identifier.

9. A method of managing a facility comprising a first asset and a second asset, the method comprising:
connecting a first access control module to a network to retrieve a list of credential identifiers, save the list of credential identifiers locally to the first access control module;
receiving, at the first access control module, a message

Assignees

• Assa Abloy Ab

Inventors

• Elfström Jan
• Kjällman Martin
• Alexander Arnon
• Aase Halvor

Classifications

• G07C9/27

  with central registration · CPC title

• G07C9/22

  in combination with an identity check of the pass holder · CPC title

• G07C9/20 Primary

  involving the use of a pass · CPC title

• G06Q10/02

  Reservations, e.g. for tickets, services or events · CPC title

• G07C9/00904

  for hotels, motels, office buildings or the like · CPC title