FR2842237A1 - Configuration of memory key access system includes presenting new key to reader with existing key in order to validate new additional key - Google Patents

Abstract

The access system uses a reader (36) detecting memory keys (10,12). In order to configure the system to use a new key, a first key (10) with an authorised memory and a second key with a non-authorised memory are presented simultaneously in front of the reader (36). Automatic configuration follows, in which the second key (12) is then transformed into an authorised key. The access system includes a first main access control unit (4) provided with a reader (36) detecting memory keys (10,12). This unit is able to authorise or deny access to a protected zone on the basis of the result of reading the keys. The process for configuring this system includes a stage of presenting a first key (10) with an authorised memory, and a second key with a non-authorised memory simultaneously in front of the reader (36). The second stage comprise an automatic configuration, triggered by the first stage, in which the second key (12) is then transformed into an authorised key. This configuration takes place within the main access control unit and may be achieved by presenting a non-authorised key alongside any of a set of existing authorised keys.

Description

- The invention relates to a method for configuring a

  access control and the access control system itself.

  More specifically, the invention relates to an access control system comprising on the one hand a first access center equipped with a memory key reader and on the other hand a set of memory keys, this central access being able to authorize access to a protected area from authorized memory keys of said set and to prohibit access to this same

  protected area from unauthorized memory keys of said set.

  Such access control systems are more and more used today to control access in particular to buildings. In these systems, each key has its own identification code. When a new key must be authorized to access a building, the access control system must be configured using a programming terminal dedicated to this task, to accept this new key. The programming terminal capable of configuring the functionality of the access control system is only available to a limited number of specialized technicians. Therefore, each time a new key must be configured to access a building, it is necessary to involve one

of these specialized technicians.

  The invention aims to remedy this drawback by proposing a method for configuring the access control system which is sufficiently simple.

  so as not to require the intervention of a specialized technician.

  The subject of the invention is therefore a method of configuring an access control system as described above, characterized in that it comprises: - a step of simultaneous presentation to the same reader of the first control unit access of a first authorized memory key and of a second unauthorized memory key, and - a step of automatic configuration of the access control system, triggered by the simultaneous presentation step, this step

  including the transformation of the second key into an authorized key.

  According to the above method, to configure a new key, it suffices to simultaneously present this new key and a key already authorized in front of the same reader of an access center. The other configuration steps, to authorize the new key, are then carried out automatically. This process is likely to be implemented by any person having an authorized key and an unauthorized key, for example a blank key. On the one hand, it does not require the use of a dedicated programming terminal and,

  on the other hand, it is automated, with very simple manipulation of the keys.

  According to other characteristics of the method according to the invention, the set of keys comprising several authorized keys, the presentation step consists in presenting, simultaneously with the second key, any of the authorized keys of said set, - said transformation is carried out by the first access center, - for the configuration of a system, the access center of which is able to authorize or prohibit access to said protected area according to the presence or absence of an access right in the memory of the keys of said set, the automatic configuration step comprises an operation of writing, in the memory of the second unauthorized key, an access right capable of activating an authorization of access to the first access center, this writing step being carried out by the first access center itself, - for the configuration of a system whose memory of the second key comprises d ja right of access to a second central access separate and independent of the first central access, the writing operation consists in adding a right of access to the first central access to those already existing in the memory of the second key, - for the configuration of a system whose memory of the second key is devoid of any right of access, the write operation consists in writing the

  first access right in the memory of the second key.

  The invention also relates to an access control system comprising: - a set of memory keys, and - an access center equipped with a memory key reader, this access center being able to authorize access to a protected area from authorized memory keys of said set, and to prohibit access to this same protected area from unauthorized memory keys from said set, characterized in that it comprises: - a module for detecting the simultaneous presence, in front of the same reader of the access center, of a first authorized memory key and of a second unauthorized memory key, and an automatic configuration module of the access control system , able to transform the second key into an authorized key, the

  configuration acting under the control of the detection module.

  According to other characteristics of the access control system in accordance with the invention: - the memory keys are transponder keys, - the access center is able to authorize or prohibit access to said protected area by depending on the presence or absence of an access right in the memory of the keys of said set, the key reader is able to write an access right in the memory of the unauthorized keys of said set, and the module automatic configuration is able to control the key reader to write, in the memory of the second key, the proper access right to transform the second key into an authorized key, the automatic configuration module is provided in the central access.

  The invention will be better understood on reading the description which will

  follow, given solely by way of example, and made with reference to the drawings, in which: - Figure 1 is a schematic illustration of the architecture of an access control system according to the invention, and - FIG. 2 is a flow diagram of a method for configuring the

  Figure 1 access control system.

  FIG. 1 represents an access control system 2 comprising several access centers which are distinct and independent from each other

  as well as several memory keys.

  Each access center is intended to protect, for example, access to a respective building. For this purpose, they each include a memory key reader placed, for example, near an access door to the building which they protect, connected to a computer placed, for example, inside the building. The computer is particularly suitable for controlling a device for opening and / or locking the building access door by

  function of information read by the reader in the key memory.

  By way of illustration, only an access center 4 intended to protect access to the building 6 is shown in FIG. 1. Thereafter, only the means of the access center 4 necessary for the implementation of the system 2

will be described here in detail.

  The system 2 also includes several authorized memory keys and several unauthorized memory keys already configured or preconfigured. Authorized keys are suitable for authorizing access to building 6 via the access center 4, while unauthorized keys

  are denied access to building 6 by the access center 4.

  By way of illustration, FIG. 1 represents only one authorized key 10 and only one unauthorized key 12. Only the means and the functions of these keys 10 and 12, necessary for the implementation of the system 2 ,

will be described here in detail.

  The key 10 is equipped with an electronic memory 20 and a

  transponder 22 connected to this memory 20.

  As is well known, a transponder is a radio transmitter / receiver capable of establishing a wireless information transmission link with a reader. The energy necessary for the operation of this transponder is transmitted in the form of electromagnetic wave by the reader. Thus, the key 10 does not require an autonomous and on-board power source for

  supply the transponder 22 and the memory 20.

  The memory 20 contains a serial number 24 and an identifier 26 of the access center 4. The serial number 24 is intended to identify,

  uniquely, the key 10 among all the keys of the access control system 2.

  This serial number 24 is, for example, entered during the manufacture of the key and can no longer be modified thereafter, whatever the operations of

  configuration of the access control system carried out.

  The key 10 is, for example, conventionally produced from an antenna for the reception of a frequency of 13.56 MHz and from a Mifare MF1 ICL10 or MF1 ICS50 semiconductor marketed by the company Philips. The identifier 26, forming the right of access, is intended to be transmitted

  to the access center 4 to authorize access to building 6.

  The transponder 22 is capable of transmitting the information contained in the memory 20 to the access center 4 when it is activated by the latter. Key 12 is identical to key 10, except for the content of the

memory 20.

  In fact, here, the memory 20 of the key 12 only includes a serial number 30 capable of uniquely identifying the key 12 among all the keys of the system 2. On the other hand, the memory 20 of the key 12 is devoid of information likely to authorize access to building 6 via

access center 4.

  The access center 4 comprises an electronic computer 34 and, for example, a single reader 36 of transponder keys also forming

  transponder key recorder.

  The reader 36, connected to the computer 34, is capable of establishing wireless information transmission links with several transponder keys present simultaneously in a reading field 38. The reading field 38 is, for example, limited in depth. so that only the transponder keys placed at a maximum distance D from the reader, of the order of a few centimeters to a few tens of centimeters, are able to communicate with the latter. This field has a preferred direction of reading of the transponder keys, here forming an axis of symmetry of the field 38. In addition, the reading field 38 has a sufficiently wide opening angle, for example from 1 to 450, in particular 50 so that two transponder keys can be simultaneously presented in front of the reader 36 aligned one behind the other in the preferred direction of reading or one next to the other in a direction perpendicular to this direction

privileged reading.

  In FIG. 1, radio and wireless information transmission links established between the reader 36 and the keys 10 and 12 placed in the reading field 38, are respectively represented by wavy arrows 40 and 41. The reader 36 is suitable for automatically establishing wireless information transmission links with each key as soon as it is

  present in reading field 38.

  The reader 36 is able to read information contained in the memory 20 of each key and to record new information in the memory 20 of each key via these information transmission links. The computer 34 is able to authorize and / or prohibit access to the building 6 from information read by the reader 36. To this end, it includes a memory 42 and an access control module 44 capable of controlling a device 46 for opening and / or locking a door

access 48 to building 6.

  The memory 42 contains in particular an identifier 50 of the access center 4, unique among all the identifiers of each access center of the system 2. This identifier is independent of the configuration operations of the system 2. It is, for example , saved once and for all in memory 42 during the installation of the access center and is no longer modified thereafter. This identifier 50 is, for example, the

  serial number of the access center 4 or the serial number of the reader 36.

  The module 44 is suitable for comparing the access center identifier 26 contained in a transponder key, read by the reader 36, with the identifier 50 to deduce therefrom, from this single comparison, a

  command to open or close the access door 48.

  The computer 34 is also able to configure a transponder key. For this, it includes a module 52 for detecting the simultaneous presence of two transponder keys in the reading field 38, and a

  module 54 for configuring an unauthorized key.

  The module 52 is suitable, from the data read by the reader 36, for detecting the simultaneous presence, in the reading field 38, of an authorized key and an unauthorized key. The module 52 is intended to activate the configuration module 54 only when the simultaneous presence of a

  authorized key and an unauthorized key was detected.

  The module 54 is adapted to control the reader 36 so that the latter enters the identifier 50 in the memory 20 of the unauthorized key. The operation of the system 2 will now be described with the aid of FIG. 1 and with reference to FIG. 2. During the installation of the system 2, a specialized technician performs a step 70 of initialization of the system 2. During this step 70, the specialized technician configures at least one transponder key, for example the key 10, so that the latter is authorized to access the building 6 via the access center 4. Once initialized, this key 10 is given to a user

  to enter the building 6.

  When this user wishes to make a duplicate of his key, for example to authorize another person to access building 6, he

  provides a transponder key such as key 12.

  Then, the user proceeds to a step 74 of simultaneous presentation, in front of the reader 36, of the key 10 and the key 12. During this step 74, the user places the key 10 and the key 12 simultaneously with the inside the

reading field 38.

  The simultaneous presence of the authorized key 10 and the unauthorized key 12 is automatically detected by the detection module 52. This

  module 52 then automatically activates the configuration module 54.

  When the configuration module 54 is activated, it performs a step 76 of configuration of the unauthorized key 12 so as to transform it into a key authorized to access the building 6 via the access center 4. For this, during this step 76, the module 54 controls the reader 36 also forming a recorder so that the latter writes, in the memory 20 of the key 12, the identifier 50 contained in the memory 42 of the

access center 4.

  Once the identifier 50 has been recorded in the memory 20 of the key 12, the user of this key 12 proceeds, for example, to a step 78 of access to the building 6 via the central office. access 4. During this step 78, the user places the key 12 in the reading field 38 so that the content of the memory 20 is read by the same reader 36 and delivered to the access control module 44. This module 44 then only compares the access center identifier contained in the memory 20 with the identifier 50. If the identifier contained in the memory 20 of the key 12 corresponds to the identifier 50, which is the case after performing step 76, then the module 44 controls the device 46 to open the door 48 and therefore authorize

access to building 6.

  Otherwise, that is to say if the memory of the key read by the reader 36 does not include an identifier corresponding to the identifier 50, the module 44 controls the device 46 so as to prohibit access at

building 6.

  The access centers of system 2 described above are particularly simple. In fact, the memory of these access centers has only one identifier, such as the identifier 50, from which the access control module 44 determines whether a key is authorized or not.

authorized.

  As a variant, the memory 20 of the key 12 includes a right of access to another building protected by another access center of the system 2. For this purpose, the memory of the key 12 includes an access center identifier different from the identifier 50. Thus, when the method of FIG. 2 is applied to this key 12 thus preconfigured, the new access right, that is to say here the identifier 50, is added to the access right previously recorded in this same key 12, so that keys are thus easily made to access several buildings, the access of which is each protected by a

  separate access center independent of the others.

  System 2 has been described in the particular case of transponder keys. As a variant, the key transponder of system 2 is replaced by a radio transmitter powered by batteries or else each key of system 2 is equipped with such a radio transmitter / receiver in addition to the transponder. This radio transmitter / receiver is able to communicate with the reader of the access center at a distance of the order of a few tens of meters. In this variant, the reader of each access center is also replaced or

  suitable for establishing a radio link with the transmitter / receiver of each key.

  The other elements of system 2 are unchanged and the configuration method described in the context of transponder keys is identical in the

  key frame fitted with radio transmitter / receiver.

  As a variant, the configuration method of FIG. 2 includes an additional step of installing one or more access centers having the same access center identifier as that of the access center 4. Thus, in this variant, the identifier 50 is replaced by an identifier common to several access centers of the system 2. Consequently, after the steps 74 and 76 of FIG. 2 have been carried out using the access center 4 , the key 12 is not only able to access the area protected by the access center 4, but also the areas protected by the other access centers of the system 2 having the same access center identifier.

Claims (10)

  1. Method for configuring an access control system comprising on the one hand a first access center (4) equipped with a reader (36) of memory keys, and on the other hand a set of keys with memory (10, 12), this access center (4) being able to authorize access to a protected area from authorized memory keys of said set and to prohibit access to this same protected area from unauthorized memory keys of said assembly, characterized in that it comprises: - a step (74) of simultaneous presentation in front of the same reader (36) of the first access center of a first key (10) with authorized memory and a second key (12) with unauthorized memory, and - a step (76) of automatic configuration of the access control system, triggered by the step (74) of simultaneous presentation, this step comprising the transformation of the second key (12) into an authorized key. 2. Method according to claim 1, characterized in that the set of keys comprising several authorized keys, the presentation step consists in presenting, simultaneously with the second key (12), any one   authorized keys of said set.   3. Method according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that said   transformation is carried out by the first access center.   4. Method according to any one of the preceding claims,   for the configuration of a system, the access center (4) of which is able to authorize or prohibit access to said protected area according to the presence or absence of an access right in the memory keys of said set, characterized in that the automatic configuration step (76) comprises an operation of writing, in the memory of the second unauthorized key (12), an access right capable of activating an authorization access to the first access center (4), this writing step being carried out by the   first access center (4) itself.   5. Method according to claim 4, for the configuration of a system in which the memory of the second key (12) already includes an access right to a second central access separate and independent of the first central access, characterized in that the writing operation consists in adding an access right at the first access center to those already existing   in the memory of the second key (12).   6. Method according to claim 4, for the configuration of a system whose memory of the second key (12) is devoid of any right of access, characterized in that the writing operation consists in writing the first   right of access in the memory of the second key (12).   7. Access control system comprising: - a set of memory keys (10, 12), and - an access central (4) equipped with a reader (36) of memory keys, this central access (4) being able to authorize access to a protected area from keys (10) with authorized memory of said set, and to prohibit access to this same protected area from keys (12) with unauthorized memory of said assembly, characterized in that it comprises: a module (52) for detecting the simultaneous presence, in front of the same reader (36) of the access center, of a first key (10) with authorized memory and of a second key (12) with unauthorized memory, and - a module (54) for automatic configuration of the access control system, capable of transforming the second key (12) into an authorized key, the configuration module (54 ) acting under the control of the detection (52).   8. System according to any one of claims 7, characterized   in that the memory keys are transponder keys.   9. System according to claim 7 or 8, characterized: - in that the access center (4) is able to authorize or prohibit access to said protected area according to the presence or absence of an access right in the memory of the keys of said set, - in that the key reader (36) is able to write an access right in the memory of the unauthorized keys (12) of said set, and - what the automatic configuration module is capable of controlling the reader (36) of keys for writing, in the memory of the second   key, the proper access right to transform the second key into an authorized key.   10. System according to any one of claims 7 to 9,   characterized in that the automatic configuration module is provided in the access center (4).