Access control system and method for use by an access device

What is this patent about?

’747 is related to the field of remote access control and reservation management systems. It specifically addresses the logistical challenges of securing and authorizing access to physical assets—such as electric vehicle charging stations or hotel rooms—through a distributed network where a central server must coordinate with local hardware that may have intermittent or non-existent internet connectivity.

The underlying idea behind ’747 is the use of a mobile device as a secure, offline bridge that carries a time-bound digital credential from a central authority to a local lock or controller. By decoupling the reservation process from the physical act of unlocking, the system allows a user to secure a time slot via a web interface and later prove their authorization to a standalone device using short-range wireless protocols, even if the local device is not currently online.

The claims of ’747 focus on a multi-component architecture involving a reservation server, a mobile application, and an access device controlling a physical lock. The independent claims specifically protect the mechanism of transmitting both a reservation certificate and a specific communication setting (such as a Bluetooth ID or network SSID) to a smartphone, which then uses that specific setting to target and transmit the certificate to the correct local hardware upon a user command.

In practice, the system functions by delivering a payload to the user's smartphone that includes the cryptographic token and the technical parameters needed to find the specific lock in a crowded environment. When the user is in proximity, the smartphone application configures its wireless radio—using the provided communication setting—to establish a handshake with the access device. This ensures the phone can identify and talk to the correct charger or door lock without the hardware needing to constantly broadcast its presence or maintain a live cloud connection.

This approach differs from prior solutions by eliminating the need for the local access device to be continuously networked or for the user to possess a physical key or RFID tag. By utilizing a dynamic unique ID that can be updated after each successful transaction, the invention prevents replay attacks and spoofing. The integration of the reservation interval directly into the certificate ensures that authorization automatically expires, providing a self-contained security model that relies on synchronized clocks rather than persistent external validation.