Patent ID: 7937669
Filing Date: 2011-05-03
Classification: G06F,G07C,H04L

Abstract:
1. An access control system, comprising: a client application running on hardware circuitry operable to provide a user interface for allowing a user of the client application to dynamically configure a set of rules and associated parameters for controlling access by a person to an entity based upon information from a card reader, wherein said interface uses a ladder icon diagram for configuring said set of rules and associated parameters; a plurality of preexisting icons within the client application selected from the user interface by the user of the client application that each define a component of the dynamically configured set of rules and associated parameters within the ladder icon diagram, at least a first of the plurality of icons comprising a card reader icon and a second of the plurality of icons comprising a user icon that identifies each of a plurality of card users authorized to use the card reader and wherein the user clicks on an icon of the plurality of icons that define the set of rules to display and change parameters of the icon; a rules engine proxy running on the hardware circuitry operable to receive one or more icons of the plurality of icons selected by the user of the client application from the client application the received icons defining said rules and associated parameters, the rules engine proxy further operable to dynamically compile and execute said rules; and a controller running on the hardware circuitry coupled to the rules engine proxy operable to receive input from the card reader and further operable to trigger the rules engine proxy to execute one or more of said rules in response to the received input and generated corresponding output, wherein said controller uses access control logic which is represented by said ladder diagram, wherein said ladder diagram has a plurality of rungs and each rung has a plurality of icons, exclusive of a right most icon, wherein upon detecting variables represented by the plurality of icons appearing on the same rung of the ladder evaluate to a value, setting a variable represented by the right most icon evaluating to a predetermined value dependent on said value of said plurality of icons.