ELECTRONIC LOCK WITH WIRELESS CONTROL

Abstract

The method and system for access control, comprising detecting, by the electronic lock a tactile action by a body on a tactile sensor. The electronic lock transmitting a first signal using very low frequency band in response to said detection of tactile action through said body. The electronic key fob receives the first electromagnetic signal, where the first signal is transmitted through a body in contact with a transmitter of said first electromagnetic signal i.e. the electronic lock. Further, the electronic key fob transmits a second electromagnetic signal in response to receipt of said first electromagnetic signal. The electronic lock receives the second signal in response to said first signal and disengages or engages a lock in response to said received second signal.

Claims

1. A method for access control, comprising: detecting a tactile action by a body on a tactile sensor; transmitting a first signal in response to said detection of tactile action through said body wherein the first signal is a very low frequency/low frequency (VLF/LF) electromagnetic signal; receiving a second signal in response to said first signal; and disengaging or engaging a lock in response to said received second signal.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein said first signal is transmitted through the body wherein said body causes said tactile action.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein said body acts as an antenna and/or conductive media for transmitting said first signal.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein the second signal is an ultra high frequency electromagnetic signal or a super high frequency electromagnetic signal.

5. The method of claim 4 wherein the second signal complies with Bluetooth™ protocol or a suitable RF technology system.

6. A method for access control, comprising: receiving a first electromagnetic signal in very low frequency/low frequency band, said first signal transmitted through a body in contact with a transmitter of said first electromagnetic signal; and transmitting a second electromagnetic signal in response to receipt of said first electromagnetic signal.

7. The method of claim 6 further comprising disengaging or engaging a lock in response to said second electromagnetic signal received by said lock.

8. The method of claim 6 wherein the second signal is an ultra high frequency electromagnetic signal or a super high frequency electromagnetic signal.

9. The method of claim 6 wherein the second signal complies with Bluetooth™ protocol or a suitable RF technology system.

10. An electronic lock, comprising: a module for detecting a tactile action by a body on a tactile sensor; a module for transmitting a first signal through said body in response to said detection of tactile action; a module for receiving a second signal in response to said first signal; and a module for disengaging or engaging a lock in response to said received second signal.

11. The electronic lock of claim 10 wherein the module for transmitting the first signal comprises a very low frequency wireless transceiver.

12. The electronic lock of claim 10 wherein said first signal is transmitted through the body wherein said body causes said tactile action.

13. The electronic lock of claim 10 wherein said body acts as an antenna for transmitting said first signal.

14. The electronic lock of claim 10 wherein means the module for receiving the second signal comprises an ultra high frequency or a super high frequency wireless transceiver.

15. The electronic lock of claim 10 wherein means the module for receiving the second signal comprises a Bluetooth™ protocol transceiver.

16. An electronic key fob, comprising: a module for receiving a first electromagnetic signal in the very low frequency/low frequency band, said first signal transmitted through a body in contact with a transmitter of said first electromagnetic signal; and a module for transmitting a second electromagnetic signal in response to receipt of said first electromagnetic signal.

17. The electronic key fob of claim 16 wherein the module for receiving the first signal comprises a very low frequency wireless transceiver.

18. The electronic key fob of claim 16 wherein the module for transmitting the second signal comprises an ultra high frequency or a super high frequency wireless transceiver.

19. The electronic key fob of claim 16 wherein the module for transmitting the second signal comprises a Bluetooth™ protocol transceiver or a suitable RF technology system.

20. (canceled)

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0023] The invention will be more clearly understood from the following description of an embodiment thereof, given by way of example only, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:—

[0024] FIG. 1 exemplarily illustrates the components of a system for access control;

[0025] FIG. 2 is a functional block diagram exemplarily illustrating the primary components of the system for access control; and

[0026] FIG. 3 is a flowchart of the method for access control, according to one embodiment of the invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0027] The present invention is directed to a method and system for access control. FIG. 1 exemplarily illustrates the components of a system for access control. The system for access control comprises an electronic lock 101 and an electronic key fob 102. A predefined signal (with certain modulation and encoding) is generated by the electronic lock 101 and transmitted through a conductive element, which may be a cylinder of the electronic lock 101. In order to lock or unlock the electronic lock 101, a user touches an exposed portion of the electronic lock 101, which causes the predefined signal to travel through the user's body 103. In other words the user's body acts as an antenna and/or medium for the transmission of the predefined signal depending on the location of the receiver device. The predefined signal is received by an electronic key fob 102 placed in close proximity to the user's body (pocket, pendant, belt, or in a backpack or handbag carried by the user). When in close proximity to the body, e.g. pocket, it can be considered that body coupling between the user and the portable device occurs; however, when within a certain distance from the users body, e.g. backpack, the receiver is able to read the electromagnetic signal that the human body irradiates, behaving like an antenna.

[0028] Once the predefined signal is received by electronic key fob 102, the electronic key fob 102 wakes up a secondary encrypted and secured radio which then performs the necessary communication with the electronic lock 101 which results in an actuation event to occur e.g. the electronic lock actuates a lever to allow access to a door. For this secondary radio, i.e. Bluetooth, different levels of authentication can be implemented as required by the end application, while also taking advantage of the RSSI of the received signal to identify the distance at which the user might be from the lock that is trying to unlock in order to discriminate from false and/or unintentional events.

[0029] FIG. 2 is a functional block diagram exemplarily illustrating the primary components of the system for access control.

[0030] The electronic lock 101, comprises a touch controller C1, a conductive element coupled to a very low frequency (VLF/LF) transmitter C2, a Bluetooth™ low energy (BLE) module A1 and an electro-mechanical actuation device D. The conductive element in cooperation with the touch controller C1 detects a tactile action by a user's body 103 on the conductive element. Once the tactile action is detected, the VLF/LF transmitter coupled to the conductive element, transmits a first signal through said user's body i.e. the body acts as an antenna for transmitting said first signal. A second signal is received by the BLE module A1 in response to said first signal and an electro-mechanical actuation device D disengages or engages a lock in response to said received second signal. In an embodiment the first signal is transmitted by a very low frequency wireless transceiver. In another embodiment, the second signal receiving means comprises an ultra high frequency or a super high frequency wireless transceiver.

[0031] The electronic key fob 102, comprises a VLF/LF transceiver C3 for receiving a first electromagnetic signal in the very low and low frequency band, said first signal transmitted through a body in contact with a transmitter of said first electromagnetic signal and a BLE module A2 for transmitting a second electromagnetic signal in response to receipt of said first electromagnetic signal.

[0032] The VLF/LF transceiver C3 comprises an antenna/ae, amplifier, a narrow bandpass filter and a VLF/LF RF receiver and/or homodyne SDR, where the VLF/LF transceiver is configured to detect or receive the transmitted first signal. This can be achieved through a very simple SDR implemented at a microcontroller level using homodyne detection, but also through any custom or integrated instrumentation discrete solution.

[0033] In an embodiment, the electronic key fob 102 comprises an ultra high frequency or a super high frequency wireless transceiver for transmitting the second signal. In an embodiment the means for transmitting the second signal comprises a Bluetooth™ protocol transceiver.

[0034] The working of the above components is described in detail in the following paragraphs.

[0035] The conductive element in communication with the touch controller wakes up for a few milliseconds every second from a standby state to poll for a touch event to occur. Once, a tactile action is detected on the conductive element/tactile sensor i.e. once a user touches the conductive element of the electronic lock 101 using his/her fingers a tactile action is detected.

[0036] Once a tactile action is detected, the VLF/LF oscillator or a VLF/LF transceiver wakes up and transmits a VLF/LF modulated signal comprising a predefined identifier of the electronic lock 101. The VLF/LF modulated signal via the conductive element travels through the body of the user who is in direct contact with the conductive element of the electronic lock 101. The VLF/LF transceiver C3 of the electronic key fob 102 receives the VLF/LF modulated signal. In other words, the electronic lock 101 transmits a first signal using very low frequency band in response to said detection of tactile action through said body 103. The electronic key fob 102 receives the first electromagnetic signal, where the first signal is transmitted through a user's body 103 in contact with a transmitter of said first electromagnetic signal i.e. the conductive element of the electronic lock 101.

[0037] The electronic key fob 102 further verifies as to whether the electronic key fob 102 matches with the electronic lock 101 by comparing the received identifier of the electronic lock 101. Upon successful verification, the Bluetooth module A2 of the electronic key fob 102 wakes up to transmit lock engage/disengage signal to the Bluetooth module A1 of the electronic lock 101. A person skilled in the art would appreciate that the electronic lock 101 and the electronic key fob 102 are previously paired. In other words, the electronic key fob transmits a second electromagnetic signal in response to receipt of said first electromagnetic signal. The electronic lock receives the second electromagnetic signal in response to said first signal and disengages or engages a lock in response to said received second signal. The second signal is an ultra high frequency electromagnetic signal or a super high frequency electromagnetic signal.

[0038] FIG. 3 is a flowchart of the method for access control. As disclosed above, the method comprises detecting 301, by the electronic lock a tactile action by a body on a tactile sensor. The electronic lock transmitting 302 a first signal using very low frequency band in response to said detection of tactile action through said body. The electronic key fob receives the first electromagnetic signal, where the first signal is transmitted through a body in contact with a transmitter of said first electromagnetic signal i.e. the electronic lock. Further, the electronic key fob transmits a second electromagnetic signal in response to receipt of said first electromagnetic signal. The electronic lock receives 303 the second signal in response to said first signal and disengages or engages 304 a lock in response to said received second signal.

[0039] Further, a person ordinarily skilled in the art will appreciate that the various illustrative logical/functional blocks, modules, circuits, and process steps described in connection with the embodiments disclosed herein may be implemented as electronic hardware, or a combination of hardware and software. To clearly illustrate this interchangeability of hardware and a combination of hardware and software, various illustrative components, blocks, modules, circuits, and steps have been described above generally in terms of their functionality. Whether such functionality is implemented as hardware or a combination of hardware and software depends upon the design choice of a person ordinarily skilled in the art. Such skilled artisans may implement the described functionality in varying ways for each particular application, but such obvious design choices should not be interpreted as causing a departure from the scope of the present invention.

[0040] The process described in the present disclosure may be implemented using various means. For example, the apparatus described in the present disclosure may be implemented in hardware, firmware, software, or any combination thereof. For a hardware implementation, the processing units, or processors(s) or controller(s) may be implemented within one or more application specific integrated circuits (ASICs), digital signal processors (DSPs), digital signal processing devices (DSPDs), programmable logic devices (PLDs), field programmable gate arrays (FPGAs), processors, controllers, micro-controllers, microprocessors, electronic devices, other electronic units designed to perform the functions described herein, or a combination thereof.

[0041] For a firmware and/or software implementation, software codes may be stored in a memory and executed by a processor. Memory may be implemented within the processor unit or external to the processor unit. As used herein the term “memory” refers to any type of volatile memory or non-volatile memory.

[0042] In the specification the terms “comprise, comprises, comprised and comprising” or any variation thereof and the terms include, includes, included and including” or any variation thereof are considered to be totally interchangeable and they should all be afforded the widest possible interpretation and vice versa.

[0043] The invention is not limited to the embodiments hereinbefore described but may be varied in both construction and detail.