EP1158466B1 - Method for triggering a process within a building - Google Patents

Description

The invention relates to a method for triggering an operation within a building.

Modern buildings, in particular more complex buildings, now have a comprehensive infrastructure, such as doors in the entrance area and possibly on the respective floors with electronic access control, turnstiles with electronic access control and elevator systems, which are also equipped with access control.

If a person suddenly needs urgent medical attention in this building, a series of procedures must be carried out without causing any breakdowns. Firstly, the person in need of assistance must make another person understand that they need help and to what extent they need help. This additional person must then inform the ambulance and ensure that the building staff knows about the emergency medical visit, receives the ambulance, passes through the safety barriers in the building, guides the ambulance to the appropriate floor and into the appropriate room in the building where the emergency services are located needy person is located. The building personnel must be comprehensively and correctly informed and instructed. Accidental misinformation can have fatal consequences. In addition, the emergency doctor must be able to reach the person in need of assistance as soon as possible. This requires a high administrative effort and the staff must be fully trained.

Another case may be that an order is placed by a person working in the building or a resident of the building. However, for whatever reason, this person or the resident can not accept the ordered goods or services himself. The person or resident must therefore actively ensure that the ordered goods or services can also be received. This can usually be done by instructing the person or resident to hire another person to do the job for them. If such a person is not available or if there is a misunderstanding, the ordered product or service is not receivable, which in turn can have corresponding consequences.

In the event that a building cleaning service at certain times to clean and maintain certain parts of the building, you must give the cleaning personnel appropriate access rights. This is usually done by giving the cleaning personnel one or more mechanical keys that lock for certain doors. It is not guaranteed that the person in possession of this key is also part of the cleaning staff. Furthermore, there is the problem that loss of the key can cause significant damage. Abuse can not be ruled out here.

In the event that a building dweller expects several visitors, he must be able to accommodate every single visitor who visits Receiving reports, providing access to the building and, if necessary, delivering a description of the wc every time it is found in the building. This can be quite tedious under certain circumstances.

If a one-time or rarely recurring service is carried out in the building or in an apartment of the building, access authorization for the service personnel can only be accomplished with a high administrative outlay. Either a person must accompany the service personnel, or a mechanical key must be provided for the service staff, which requires a certain amount of trust and increases the risk of abuse.

The font EP0924657A discloses an apparatus for automatically verifying the identity of a person seeking remote access to a protected item. The device includes a personal identification device with a sensor for reading biometric data to identify that person. The apparatus comprises storage means for storing biometric reference data for identifying a person authorized to access the protected item. The apparatus comprises correlation means for comparing the stored biometric reference data with the biometric data of the person seeking access and determining whether they match. The apparatus includes and means for securely transmitting the identity confirmation to an access controller via a communication network, the access controller providing access to the protected item upon receipt of the identity confirmation.

An object of the invention is therefore to provide a method for triggering an operation within a building in which certain components of the infrastructure of the building are provided in a secure manner, automatically and error-free to an authorized person.

The object is achieved by a method for triggering a passage within a building having the features specified in claim 1.

Advantageous developments of the invention will become apparent from the features indicated in the dependent claims.

In the method according to the invention for triggering a process within a building, a virtual key is generated by a specific event. The virtual one Key is then transmitted to a person. If the authorized person identifies himself by the key, the process is triggered in the building.

Advantageously, the key is assigned a specific code by means of an encryption method.

Furthermore, it is advantageous to attach a signature to the key with which the recipient of the key can identify himself as a person authorized to use third parties.

The type of operation will depend on the nature of the event.

Advantageously, the process controls an elevator located in a building.

Depending on the type of event is made dependent on which person the key is transmitted.

In addition, it can be checked whether a key is already present by the person to whom the key is transmitted, and if this is used in a modified form.

Another advantage of the invention is that it checks which means of the person to be authorized are available to identify himself and of which a suitable one is selected.

In a further embodiment of the invention, in the event that a key already exists, it is checked whether it meets the security requirements and optionally generates a new or a supplemented key.

Advantageously, the person identifies himself upon receipt of the key.

The invention will be explained below with reference to a figure.

The figure shows a flow chart for the inventive method for triggering an operation within a building.

Triggering element is as shown in the figure a specific event. As mentioned above, the event can be an emergency call, an order, an order, for example for a cleaning service, an invitation or even a periodically recurring event, for example a condition monitoring or a service.

It depends on the type of event which demands are placed on a key to be generated. For example, if a fire occurs in the building, the security requirements of the key are less stringent and the availability requirements for the key higher. However, if the triggering event is a cleaning contract for a cleaning service, then the security requirements for set the key to be issued significantly higher. This means that the risk of misuse of the key must be kept as low as possible in this case, whereas in case of fire building access must be guaranteed under all circumstances. This results in different requirements for the key to be issued, depending on the type of event.

A key or virtual key is to be understood as a code.

The event also determines which person should be authorized. For example, if the triggering event is an emergency call, this event must call the ambulance, whereas if the triggering event is a personal invitation from a building dweller, the guest (s) should be invited.

Whether the key requirements are set first and then the person (s) to be authorized depends on the constraints of the system.

Subsequently, it must be determined whether there are funds available from the person to be authorized that can serve as keys. As means such as means of communication such as telephone, mobile devices, pagers or PC in question.

As a key, for example, a secret word, a secret number, a sentence, a symbol or a picture in question.

After the requirements for the key have been determined, the person to be authorized is determined, and it has been determined whether there are means available from the person to be authorized that can serve as a key, it is checked whether the quality of an optionally present key is the Requirements are sufficient. If this is not the case, a new key is generated or the existing key is supplemented to the extent that this satisfies the requirements for the key.

After a suitable key has been generated, it is transmitted to the authorized person. The method of transmission depends on the means available to the authorized person. If the authorized person has a mobile telephone, the transmission can take place via an air interface. However, if the key has to be transmitted to a fax machine, the transmission will generally be wired. The type of transmission of the key depends on the technical conditions.

If necessary, an identification of the authorized person can already take place upon receipt of the key. This can be done for example by biometric features, such as the voice of the recipient or his fingerprint. After the key has been received and, if appropriate, the authorized person has identified himself, the key is stored in the means of communication available to the authorized person. However, this is not mandatory. Rather, the authorized person can remember the key itself.

As soon as the authorized person reaches the building, the key is used. Depending on the key is the use, ie application of the key by entering the secret number, the secret word or the like on a keyboard, the detection of the key in spoken form by a microphone on the building or the biometric features of the authorized person by a corresponding to the building arranged biometric sensor.

After entering the key, the key is checked for validity. If the key is found to be invalid, for example, if the key is only applicable for a certain period of time, by too late an application, it will be rejected. The person is not allowed in the building, the process is not triggered.

If, however, the key is recognized as valid, the process is triggered, for example the doors of the building are opened, the elevator is made available and the elevator doors are opened, any existing safety barriers are unlocked. Another process may be the transmission of a message to the sender of the key. In addition, the user of the key can be informed of a way information as he reaches the person who has sent the key. Also, a welcome message of the person or other information that has been deposited for the authorized user, can now be played. The triggered process can also be an automatic one Driving the elevator to the destination floor include. Finally, the process can also be an acknowledgment of the delivery of the goods or services.

The invention automatically generates and delivers an electronic key for granting access to certain areas due to external events such as e-mail, request for help, detection of fire, and so on. This means that there is an automatic implication of triggering event on the need for access and the necessary precautions (provision and shipping of the key) are made. For example, the requirement of an emergency doctor by means of an emergency transmitter results in the delivery of a code to the doctor. The doctor identifies himself with the access control system in order to be able to reach the patient unhindered.

The electronic key can be embodied, for example, in the form of a binary number or sequence of numbers. The key persons involved in generating the key, distributing and using the key are the order broker (for example, the person to be visited), the visitor and an administrative body. Various forms and methods of identification and authentication are possible, such as those provided by "public key cryptography". For this purpose, please refer to the publication of RL Rivest, A. Shamir, L. Adleman "A Method for Obtaining Digital Signatures and Public-key Cryptosystems", 1977 directed. Therein a coding method is described in which a Encryption key is publicly accessible without making the decryption key publicly accessible. The method is also known as RSA method.

In a simple execution of the key, the key may also be a PIN code, an identifier, a telephone number or a secret word. Greater protection against abuse can be achieved by using a public key for authentication and using appropriate encryption methods for communication. In a first phase, public keys based on an authentication are distributed. If a user is to be granted access or other rights, he or she will be granted his rights, presented in numerical form and secured by means of the public key. In the application of the rights, the decryption takes place, which ensures that the proclaimed rights, such as access, have been assigned by a legitimized body. In addition, a signature process can be attached, which allows a corresponding proof to third parties.

The key can have different information. So it is possible that a part of the key is a signature of the recipient or the administrator. Another part of the key can describe the triggering event itself. It is also possible to add information to the key, including, for example, the access rights, that is, who, where and when to have access. In addition, it can be noted in the key what kind of law should be. Finally it is it is possible to store in the key only a reference or pointer (pointer) representing a reference to the memory address under which the administrator has deposited the additional information.

Depending on the application, the key can be stored completely or partially at one or more locations. If the key is stored completely in several places, this means a high degree of redundancy and thus a high access security, but also an increased danger of abuse. Saving the key in full form in several places may be helpful, for example, in the event of a fire in the building.

The information stored in the key can be transmitted to the building's own receiver, for example via an infrared interface (IrDA) or via a Bluetooth radio interface of a mobile telephone.

IrDA (Infrared Data Association) is an infrared communication standard that allows wireless connections to be made with a range between 0 to 1 meter and a data transfer rate between 9600 to 16 Mbaud.

Bluetooth is intended for short-range voice and data traffic at 2.4 GHz in the ISM band. The range is between 10 cm and 10 m, but can be extended by increasing the transmission power up to 100 m.

The generation and distribution of the key may be done by various means, such as an alarm trigger, the building management office or a third party. The generation of the key is automatically based on an indication such as is given by an alarm triggering.

Upon receipt of the key, further information and instructions may be communicated, such as a road map, a restriction of visiting hours or operating instructions.

In the application of the key, for example, for notification or authentication of the user, a communication connection between the key sender and the key holder can be established.

Furthermore, it is possible to inform the sender of the key if the key has not been used after a certain period of time. It is also possible to modify the rights granted to the authorized person in the application of the key, so that the authorized person is no longer or only to a limited extent authorized to use. In addition, the rights of all keys can be modified. This may be important if a large number of keys have been distributed, but now only a part of it may be used.

The sender of the key or the Administrator may be notified in the event of misbehavior of the key and / or tampering attempts.

The key can be embedded in a higher-level program, so that, for example, an operating program is transmitted together with the key to a mobile telephone with WAP browser. The phone can then be used as a user interface to, among other things, apply the key.

In addition, it is possible to charge a fee for each application of the key, which may depend on the type of key and the action / action initiated. The billing can be made at the expense of the key owner, ie the authorized person, the sender of the key or a third party.

It is also possible to unlock a special mode of operation using the key when the key is applied. This could be particularly important in case of fire for the fire department to control an elevator.

If a key is used, this can be visually and / or acoustically displayed.

If a key is not used, it can trigger certain actions, such as a message to the recipient of the key to remember.

When using the key, more information can also be transmitted to the lock, so the electronic receiver. The type of information can be determined by the key itself and / or be requested through the castle. The information may include, for example, visitor details such as personnel number, preferred room temperature, or communication skills.

Claims (13)

1. Method for triggering a process in a building,
   in which a type of an event is determined,
   in which a type of the process is made to depend on the type of the event, in which the person who is authorized to use a virtual key and to whom it is transmitted is made to depend on the type of the event,
   in which a virtual key is generated by a certain event,
   in which, by the certain event, the virtual key is transmitted to the person authorized for its use,
   in which, as soon as the person authorized for its use reaches the building, the virtual key is used,
   in which the process is triggered in the building when the person who is authorized for its use identifies themself with the key.
2. Method according to claim 1,
   in which by means of an encryption process a certain code is assigned to the virtual key.
3. Method according to one of claims 1 or 2,
   in which a signature is assigned to the virtual key, with which the recipient of the virtual key can identify them self to third-parties as a person authorized for its use.
4. Method according to one of claims 1 to 3,
   in which the process opens doors in the building.
5. Method according to one of claims 1 to 3,
   in which the process readies an elevator in the building and opens elevator doors.
6. Method according to one of claims 1 to 3,
   in which the process controls an elevator in the building.
7. Method according to one of claims 1 to 3,
   in which the process controls an automatic travel of the elevator to the destination floor.
8. Method according to one of claims 1 to 3,
   in which the process unlocks security barriers should they be present in the building.
9. Method according to one of claims 1 to 3,
   in which the process communicates to a user of the virtual key information about a route by which the user reaches the person who transmitted the virtual key.
10. Method according to one of claims 1 to 9,
    in which a check is made as to whether, for the person to whom the virtual key is transmitted and who is authorized for its use, a virtual key is already available, and if so the latter is used in modified form.
11. Method according to one of claims 1 to 10,
    in which the means of self-identification that are available for the person authorized as user are examined and a suitable one of the means is selected.
12. Method according to one of claims 1 to 11,
    in which, should a virtual key already exist, it is examined as to whether it satisfies the security requirements and, if necessary, a new or augmented virtual key is generated.
13. Method according to one of claims 1 to 12,
    in which the person authorized for use of the virtual key identifies themself upon its receipt.

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