WO2023274950A1

WO2023274950A1 - Providing a user interface for an access control device providing physical access control

Info

Publication number: WO2023274950A1
Application number: PCT/EP2022/067552
Authority: WO
Inventors: Monica HOLMAN; John Bishop; Duncan WINNER
Original assignee: Assa Abloy Limited
Priority date: 2021-06-29
Filing date: 2022-06-27
Publication date: 2023-01-05

Abstract

It is provided a method for providing a user interface. The method is performed by an access control device (1) providing physical access control, wherein the access control device (1) comprises a touch screen (n). The method comprises: detecting (40) a portable user device (2) comprising a touch screen (21); determining (44) that the portable user device (2) should be provided exclusive user interface access; and mirroring (46) input and output of a user interface of the touch screen (11) of the access control device (1) on the touch screen (21) of the user device (2).

Description

PROVIDING A USER INTERFACE FOR AN ACCESS CONTROL DEVICE PROVIDING PHYSICAL ACCESS CONTROL

TECHNICAL FIELD

[0001] The present disclosure relates to the field of access control devices and in particular to providing a user interface for an access control device providing physical access control.

BACKGROUND

[0002] Touch screens are provided in a range of different situations. Touch screens are convenient and intuitive, providing both user input and user output using the same user interface device.

[0003] There are devices that are used by multiple users, such as electronic access control devices for physical access control, e.g. for key cabinet access, or access control to other restricted physical spaces using doors, windows, drawers or cabinets. When the same touch screen is used by multiple users of access control devices, there is an increasing concern of the spread of contaminants, such as viruses or bacteria, between users of the touch screen.

[0004] A problem with existing touch screens for access control devices is how to maintain the convenience and intuitiveness of a touch screen of the access control device, while reducing the risk of spread of contaminants between users.

SUMMARY

[0005] One object is to reduce contaminant spread and increase usability of a touch screen of an access control device.

[0006] According to a first aspect, it is provided a method for providing a user interface. The method is performed by an access control device providing physical access control, wherein the access control device comprises a touch screen. The method comprises: detecting a portable user device comprising a touch screen; determining that the portable user device should be provided exclusive user interface access; and mirroring input and output of a user interface of the touch screen of the access control device on the touch screen of the user device.

[0007] The method may further comprise: authenticating a user of the user device based on an authentication of the user by the user device.

[0008] The mirroring the user interface may comprise providing user output on the touch screen of the user device and reacting to user input on the touch screen of the user device in the same way as when only the touch screen of the access control device is used as a user interface.

[0009] The mirroring may comprise mirroring the user interface only for the user device for as long as the portable user device is granted exclusive user interface access.

[0010] The method may further comprise: releasing exclusive user interface access for the portable user device.

[0011] The access control device may be a key cabinet.

[0012] According to a second aspect, it is provided an access control device for providing a user interface. The access control device may be configured to provide physical access control. The access control device comprises: a touch screen; a processor; and a memory storing instructions that, when executed by the processor, cause the access control device to: detect a portable user device comprising a touch screen; determine that the portable user device should be provided exclusive user interface access; and mirror input and output of a user interface of the touch screen of the access control device on the touch screen of the user device.

[0013] The access control device may further comprise instructions that, when executed by the processor, cause the access control device to: authenticate a user of the user device based on an authentication of the user by the user device.

[0014] The instructions to mirror the user interface may comprise instructions that, when executed by the processor, cause the access control device to provide user output on the touch screen of the user device and react to user input on the touch screen of the user device in the same way as when only the touch screen of the access control device is used as a user interface.

[0015] The instructions to mirror may comprise instructions that, when executed by the processor, cause the access control device to mirror the user interface only for the user device for as long as the portable user device is granted exclusive user interface access.

[0016] The access control device may further comprise instructions that, when executed by the processor, cause the access control device to: release exclusive user interface access for the portable user device.

[0017] The access control device may be a key cabinet.

[0018] According to a third aspect, it is provided a computer program for providing a user interface by an access control device providing physical access control, wherein the access control device comprises a touch screen. The computer program comprises computer program code which, when executed on an access control device causes the access control device to: detect a portable user device comprising a touch screen; determine that the portable user device should be provided exclusive user interface access; and mirror input and output of a user interface of the touch screen of the access control device on the touch screen of the user device.

[0019] According to a fourth aspect, it is provided a computer program product comprising a computer program according to the third aspect and a computer readable means comprising non-transitory memory in which the computer program is stored.

[0020] Generally, all terms used in the claims are to be interpreted according to their ordinary meaning in the technical field, unless explicitly defined otherwise herein. All references to "a/an/the element, apparatus, component, means, step, etc." are to be interpreted openly as referring to at least one instance of the element, apparatus, component, means, step, etc., unless explicitly stated otherwise. The steps of any method disclosed herein do not have to be performed in the exact order disclosed, unless explicitly stated. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0021] Aspects and embodiments are now described, by way of example, with refer ence to the accompanying drawings, in which:

[0022] Fig 1 is a schematic diagram illustrating an environment in which embodiments presented herein can be applied;

[0023] Fig 2 is a flow chart illustrating embodiments of methods of providing a user interface, performed in the access control device of Fig 1;

[0024] Fig 3 is a schematic diagram illustrating components of the access control device of Fig 1; and

[0025] Fig 4 shows one example of a computer program product comprising computer readable means.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0026] The aspects of the present disclosure will now be described more fully hereinafter with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which certain embodiments of the invention are shown. These aspects may, however, be embodied in many different forms and should not be construed as limiting; rather, these embodiments are provided by way of example so that this disclosure will be thorough and complete, and to fully convey the scope of all aspects of invention to those skilled in the art. Like numbers refer to like elements throughout the description.

[0027] Embodiments presented herein provide a way for a touch screen-based user interface to be logically used by multiple users of an access control device without providing access to the same physical touch screen. This is achieved by mirroring the user interface of the touch screen (of the access control device) on a touch screen of a user device, such as a smartphone. The access control device has full control of the user interface layout and functionality, while the user has full physical control of the touch screen that is used. This reduces the risk of spreading contaminants between users of the access control device. This is of great use, particularly when the user interface provided using the touch screen is advanced and provides many different functions, where the time that each user spends on the user interface is significant. Moreover, this solution provides a user interface that is more convenient for the user, compared to a fixed touch screen of the access control device that e.g. needs to be provided at a height that is accessible for everyone but is not optimally convenient for most users.

[0028] Fig 1 is a schematic diagram illustrating an environment in which embodiments presented herein can be applied. An access control device 1 is used for providing physical access control. For instance, the access control device 1 can be in the form of a key cabinet, controlling access to keys, e.g. vehicle keys. The key cabinet can have many different operational and security functions, for which an intuitive and efficient user interface is desired. As described above, physical access control can also relate to access control to other restricted physical spaces using doors, windows, drawers or cabinets, such as for lockers for high value/high security items such as for weapons or computers.

[0029] The access control device 1 comprises a touch screen 11 to thereby provide a user interface.

[0030] Each user 5 also carries a user device 2. The user device 2 can e.g. be a smartphone, tablet computer, or even a wearable device. In any case, each user device 2 also comprises a touchscreen 21.

[0031] Traditionally, users interact with the access control device 1 using its touch screen 11. However, according to embodiments presented herein, input and output of the touch screen 11 of the access control device 1 is mirrored on the touch screen 21 of the user device 2. All functions that can be performed using the touch screen 11 of the access control device 1 can thus be performed on the touch screen 21 of the user device 2. The communication between the access control device 1 and the user device 2 is performed over a wireless communication channel 4 and can be based on short-range communication, such as Bluetooth, Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE), Wi-Fi, etc. Alternatively or additionally, the communication between the access control device 1 and the user device 2 can be based on wired connections (such as Ethernet) and/or cellular network connections, e.g. 5G, 4G LTE (Long-Term Evolution), W-CDMA (Wideband Code-division Multiple Access), etc. [0032] When communication between the user device 2 and the access control device 1 occurs via the Internet (e.g. via a cellular network connection), a challenge mechanism is optionally provided to ensure that the user device 2 is physically near the access control device 1. The determination that the user device 2 is near the access control device 1 can e.g. be verified by the user device 2 scanning an optical code (static or dynamically rotated) that is presented on or in the immediate vicinity of the access control device 1, Alternatively or additionally, the determination that the user device 2 is near the access control device 1 is verified by the user device 2 communicating with the access control device over a short-range communication interface. Alternatively or additionally, the determination that the user device 2 is near the access control device 1 is verified by a location determination (e.g. using GPS (Global Positioning System) and/or Wi-Fi fingerprinting) within the user device 2, where a distance from the user device 2 to the access control device 1 is calculated using a known, pre-stored, location of the access control device 1.

[0033] The access control device 1 is configured to mirror its user interface to only one user device 2 at a time. During this time, the selected user device 1 is thus provided exclusive access to mirroring the user interface of the access control device 1. The selection of the user device 2 can be on a first-come-first-serve basis, and/or based on the distance from the access control device to the respective user device 2.

[0034] It is to be noted that while three users 5 with respective user devices 2 are shown in Fig 1, the embodiments presented herein are applicable with any number of user devices.

[0035] Optionally, the access control device identifies and authenticates the user based on the user authentication of the user device, such as fingerprint recognition, face recognition, passcode, etc. In this way, as long as the user 5 is authenticated with the user device 2, the user 5 does not need to authenticate again with the access control device 1 to access its user interface when this is mirrored on the user device 2.

[0036] Fig 2 is a flow chart illustrating embodiments of methods of providing a user interface, performed in the access control device. The access control device 1 can be a key cabinet with functions for controlled access to specific keys. The key cabinet can be based on access rules defining how access is provided to the keys stored in the key cabinet.

[0037] In a detect portable user device step 40, the access control device 1 detects a portable user device 2 comprising a touch screen 21. This detection can be based on receiving a signal from the user device 2 indicating a request to mirror the user interface of the access control device 1 on the user device. If multiple requests are received, in the same time period, the access control device 1 that is nearest to the access control device can be selected, e.g. based on RSSI value or round-trip time measurement, or any other suitable distance indictor.

[0038] In an optional authenticate using the user device step 42, the access control device 1 authenticates a user 5 of the user device 2 based on an authentication of the user by the user device 2. The authentication of the user by the user device 2 can be based on any suitable local device authentication, e.g. passcode, fingerprint recognition, face recognition, etc. Alternatively, the user is authenticated using the mirrored user interface, e.g. by the user inputting an access code.

[0039] In a determine exclusive access step 44, the access control device 1 determines that the portable user device 2 should be provided exclusive user interface access. By providing exclusive access, other users are prevented from gaining access to the physical space at the same time. In other words, the user with exclusive user interface access controls the user interface without any operational interference from other users.

[0040] Optionally, when mirroring is not applied, parallel access to the access control device can be provided, In this case, the exclusive access is only provided for operations of the access control device where exclusivity is needed, e.g. for physical access controlled by the access control device. In this way, other operations, e.g. inputting and/ or outputting data not directly resulting in physical access can be performed in parallel for multiple user devices. This results in increased throughput of users at the access control device 1, resulting in reduced queueing and bunching of users. [0041] In one scenario, the access control device 1 requires data to be recorded to complement the exclusive transaction. The user device 2 maybe used to input this prior to obtaining exclusivity of access control device 1, preventing unnecessarily holding up user interface access for other user devices during this time.

[0042] In one scenario for an automated key cabinet, the access control device 1 can be configured to award exclusivity only for receiving or depositing a key. Other operation, such as reporting any fault related to the key could be performed prior to or after the period of exclusivity, thus achieving greater throughput of users to receiving or depositing keys.

[0043] In one scenario for an electronic locker system, the access control device 1 can be configured to award exclusivity only be for the auto-dispending mechanism. In this way, multiple locker doors could be opened simultaneously by multiple users whilst still enabling other users to input data.

[0044] In a mirror user interface step 46, the access control device 1 mirrors input and output of a user interface of the touch screen 11 of the access control device 1 on the touch screen 21 of the user device 2.

[0045] The mirroring of the user interface can comprise providing user output on the touch screen 21 of the user device 2 and reacting to user input on the touch screen 21 of the user device 2 in the same way as when only the touch screen 11 of the access control device 1 is used as a user interface. From the perspective of the user, the experience of using the touch screen 21 of the user device 2 is thus identical to when the user uses the touch screen 11 of the access control device 1, apart from potential scaling of the user interface. This allows the user to provide user input and receive output using the touch screen at some distance from the touch screen 11 of the access control device 1.

[0046] The mirroring of the user interface can be performed only for (i.e. exclusively for) the user device for as long as the portable user device 2 is granted exclusive user interface access.

[0047] In an optional release exclusive access step 48, the access control device 1 releases exclusive user interface access for the portable user device 2. After this step, other user devices 2 can connect to the access control device 1. This step can be performed after a predetermined action of the user, e.g. when the space controlled by the access control device is closed and locked again and/or based on explicit user input to release the exclusive access to the access control device. This explicit user input can be input by the user when the user is finished with interacting with the access control device 1.

[0048] Using embodiments presented herein, the risk of spreading contaminants between users of the access control device is greatly reduced. This is of great use, particularly when the user interface provided using the touch screen is advanced and provides many different functions, where the time that each user spends on the user interface is significant. Moreover, this solution provides a user interface that is more convenient for the user, compared to a fixed touch screen of the access control device that e.g. needs to be provided at a height that is accessible for everyone but is not optimally convenient for most users.

[0049] Fig 3 is a schematic diagram illustrating components of the access control device 1 of Fig 1. A processor 60 is provided using any combination of one or more of a suitable central processing unit (CPU), graphics processing unit (GPU), multiprocessor, microcontroller, digital signal processor (DSP), etc., capable of executing software instructions 67 stored in a memory 64, which can thus be a computer program product. The processor 60 could alternatively be implemented using an application specific integrated circuit (ASIC), field programmable gate array (FPGA), etc. The processor 60 can be configured to execute the method described with reference to Fig 2 above.

[0050] The memory 64 can be any combination of random-access memory (RAM) and/or read-only memory (ROM). The memory 64 also comprises non-transitory persistent storage, which, for example, can be any single one or combination of magnetic memory, optical memory, solid-state memory or even remotely mounted memory.

[0051] A data memory 66 is also provided for reading and/ or storing data during execution of software instructions in the processor 60. The data memory 66 can be any combination of RAM and/or ROM. [0052] The access control device 1 further comprises an I/O interface 62 for communicating with external and/or internal entities, such as with the user devices 2. Optionally, the I/O interface 62 also includes a user interface.

[0053] Other components of the access control device 1 are omitted in order not to obscure the concepts presented herein.

[0054] Fig 4 shows one example of a computer program product 90 comprising computer readable means. On this computer readable means, a computer program 91 can be stored, which computer program can cause a processor to execute a method according to embodiments described herein. In this example, the computer program product is in the form of a removable solid-state memory, e.g. a Universal Serial Bus (USB) drive. As explained above, the computer program product could also be embodied in a memory of a device, such as the computer program product 64 of Fig 3. While the computer program 91 is here schematically shown as a section of the removable solid- state memory, the computer program can be stored in any way which is suitable for the computer program product, such as another type of removable solid-state memory, or an optical disc, such as a CD (compact disc), a DVD (digital versatile disc) or a Blu-Ray disc.

[0055] The aspects of the present disclosure have mainly been described above with reference to a few embodiments. However, as is readily appreciated by a person skilled in the art, other embodiments than the ones disclosed above are equally possible within the scope of the invention, as defined by the appended patent claims. Thus, while various aspects and embodiments have been disclosed herein, other aspects and embodiments will be apparent to those skilled in the art. The various aspects and embodiments disclosed herein are for purposes of illustration and are not intended to be limiting, with the true scope and spirit being indicated by the following claims.

Claims

1. A method for providing a user interface, the method being performed by an access control device (l) providing physical access control, wherein the access control device (l) comprises a touch screen (n), the method comprising: detecting (40) a portable user device (2) comprising a touch screen (21); determining (44) that the portable user device (2) should be provided exclusive user interface access; and mirroring (46) input and output of a user interface of the touch screen (11) of the access control device (1) on the touch screen (21) of the user device (2).

2. The method according to claim 1, further comprising: authenticating (42) a user (5) of the user device (2) based on an authentication of the user by the user device (2).

3. The method according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the mirroring (46) the user interface comprises providing user output on the touch screen (21) of the user device (2) and reacting to user input on the touch screen (21) of the user device (2) in the same way as when only the touch screen (11) of the access control device (1) is used as a user interface.

4. The method according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the mirroring (46) comprises mirroring the user interface only for the user device for as long as the portable user device (2) is granted exclusive user interface access.

5. The method according to any one of the preceding claims, further comprising: releasing (48) exclusive user interface access for the portable user device (2).

6. The method according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the access control device (1) is a key cabinet.

7. An access control device (1) for providing a user interface, wherein the access control device (1) is configured to provide physical access control, the access control device (1) comprising: a touch screen (11); a processor (60); and a memory (64) storing instructions (67) that, when executed by the processor, cause the access control device (1) to: detect a portable user device (2) comprising a touch screen (21); determine that the portable user device (2) should be provided exclusive user interface access; and mirror input and output of a user interface of the touch screen (11) of the access control device (1) on the touch screen (21) of the user device (2).

8. The access control device (1) according to claim 7, further comprising instructions (67) that, when executed by the processor, cause the access control device (1) to: authenticate a user (5) of the user device (2) based on an authentication of the user by the user device (2).

9. The access control device (1) according to any one of claims 7 to 8, wherein the instructions to mirror the user interface comprise instructions (67) that, when executed by the processor, cause the access control device (1) to provide user output on the touch screen (21) of the user device (2) and react to user input on the touch screen (21) of the user device (2) in the same way as when only the touch screen (11) of the access control device (1) is used as a user interface.

10. The access control device (1) according to any one of claims 7 to 9, wherein the instructions to mirror comprise instructions (67) that, when executed by the processor, cause the access control device (1) to mirror the user interface only for the user device for as long as the portable user device (2) is granted exclusive user interface access.

11. The access control device (1) according to any one of claims 7 to 10, further comprising instructions (67) that, when executed by the processor, cause the access control device (1) to: release exclusive user interface access for the portable user device (2).

12. The access control device (1) according to any one of claims 7 to 11, wherein the access control device (1) is a key cabinet.

13. A computer program (67, 91) for providing a user interface by an access control device (1) providing physical access control, wherein the access control device (1) comprises a touch screen (11), the computer program comprising computer program code which, when executed on an access control device (1) causes the access control device (1) to: detect a portable user device (2) comprising a touch screen (21); determine that the portable user device (2) should be provided exclusive user interface access; and mirror input and output of a user interface of the touch screen (11) of the access control device (1) on the touch screen (21) of the user device (2).

14. A computer program product (64, 90) comprising a computer program according to claim 13 and a computer readable means comprising non-transitory memory in which the computer program is stored.