Abstract:
The present invention advantageously provides a system and method for remotely administering and synchronizing a clustered group of access control nodes using a gateway node. A device, such as a network browser, submits an update for one node of the cluster of nodes to a web server in the gateway node. The web server transmits, via a communication interface in the gateway node, the submitted update to the node configuration database of the appropriate node while the gateway updates its configuration database in accordance with the submitted update. In another embodiment, the device is a dedicated host computer. The data can be transmitted in accordance with a binary access protocol.

Description:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
       [0001]    This invention relates generally to security systems having access control panels. In particular, this invention relates to a system and method for remotely administering and synchronizing a single or a clustered group of access control panels. 
       BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
       [0002]    Access control systems provide security to homes and businesses by controlling access to a facility and preventing unwanted intrusions. Generally, an access control system has both hardware and software that are integrated to provide security technologies. Most systems contain access control panels that combine with software to control access, identify users, and detect intruders. Typical access control systems may be administered by a dedicated host computer, and may utilize software and data available on the host computer through a networked web service interface. When multiple access control nodes or panels are configured through the web service, each access control node or panel must be individually installed, configured and administered. Often much of the data is common among nodes on a clustered group of access control systems, and it is desirable to treat this information as a single object that is shared and simultaneously updated on each node of the clustered access control group. 
         [0003]    Among the problems of the aforementioned systems is that to enable installation, maintenance, and updating of multiple access control nodes, a dedicated host computer must maintain all of the data and download appropriate data to the nodes as needed, and that duplicate access control data must reside on each node. 
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
       [0004]    The present invention enables a clustered set of access control nodes to be established, administered, and monitored as a group. Configuration data common to all of the access control nodes in the cluster is stored in a configuration database and administered as an individual object. The configuration database is partitioned into two database objects, a global database object which comprises the data which is common to all nodes in the cluster, and a node specific configuration database which contains configuration data specific to the node. Synchronization of the cluster is performed by a gateway node, associated with the cluster, using a Binary Access Control protocol. 
         [0005]    The present invention advantageously provides a system and method for remotely administering and synchronizing a clustered group of access control nodes using a gateway node. A device, such as a network browser, submits an update for one node of the cluster of nodes to a web server in the gateway node. The web server transmits, via a communication interface in the gateway node, the submitted update to the node configuration database of the appropriate node while the gateway updates its configuration database in accordance with the submitted update. In another embodiment, the device is a dedicated host computer. The data can be transmitted in accordance with a binary access protocol. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0006]    The invention is further described in the detailed description that follows, by reference to the noted drawings by way of non-limiting illustrative embodiments of the invention, in which like reference numerals represent similar parts throughout the drawings. As should be understood, however, the invention is not limited to the precise arrangements and instrumentalities shown. In the drawings: 
           [0007]      FIG. 1  is a block diagram of an exemplary embodiment of the present invention; 
           [0008]      FIG. 2  is a block diagram of a second embodiment of the present invention; 
           [0009]      FIG. 3  is a block diagram of a third embodiment of the present invention; 
           [0010]      FIG. 4  is a flow diagram illustrating the steps for an exemplary embodiment of the present invention; and 
           [0011]      FIG. 5  is a flow diagram illustrating the steps for another embodiment of the present invention. 
       
    
    
       [0012]    The foregoing and other objects, aspects, features, advantages of the invention will become more apparent from the following description and from the claims. 
       DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
       [0013]    An inventive solution is presented to the need for a system and method that enables information common among a cluster of access control nodes to be treated as a single object that can be shared and simultaneously updated. 
         [0014]      FIG. 1  shows an Access Control Cluster  10  according to the present invention. In this embodiment, a device  12 , e.g. a network enabled browser device, provides the human interface to the Cluster  10 . It is also possible for the device  12  to be a dedicated host. The network enabled browser device  12  is any device that provides a network browser with standard internet communication protocols, typically a personal computer with an industry standard internet browser, such as Internet Explorer or Firefox, capable of accessing a Gateway Access Control Point  14 . Other devices containing necessary standard internet protocols, including but not limited to cellular telephones, PDAs, laptop computers, and computer workstations, may also be used as network enabled browser devices  12 . 
         [0015]    An Access Control Cluster  10  is comprised of a Gateway Access Control Point  14  and one or more downstream or remote Access Control Nodes  16 . Since the Gateway Access Control Point  14  may contain embedded access control node functionality, a configuration with a standalone Gateway Access Control Node  14  with embedded access control logic is considered to be a cluster of one Access Control Node. 
         [0016]    The Gateway Access Control Node  14  provides the interface between the user and the Access Control Cluster  10 . The user operates the network enabled browser device  12  and accesses the Gateway Access Control Node  14  which provides the ability to update, install, modify and/or retrieve the database and control logic of any Access Control Node  16  within the Access Control Cluster  10 . 
         [0017]    An Access Control Node  16  is defined as a device capable of receiving and processing an access request, and granting or denying access based on the request. The Access Control Node  16  also detects change of state on input devices and allows for the pulsing or activation of output relay devices based on various conditions. For example, a typical application involves the activation of an output relay, e.g., opening a door, when a valid access card credential is presented to a card reader attached to the Access Control Node  16 . 
         [0018]    The Configuration Database  18  contains all the configuration data needed by the Access Control Node  16  to perform the intended access control functions. The Database  18  is partitioned into two entities, a Common object  20  and a Node Specific object  22 . The Common object  20  contains information that is common to all control nodes in the Access Control Cluster  10 . An example of such information would include dates of holidays, time zone access periods, geographic time zone, credential (cardholder) information, card credential formats, and access levels, among other data. 
         [0019]    The Node Specific or Local object  22  contains information local or specific to an individual Access Control Node  16 . An example of such information would be specific devices, e.g. credential readers or other I/O devices, that are attached to the Access Control Node  16 , access levels assigned to specific devices, specific configuration of Input and Output devices, and a list of supported card formats per credential reader device, among other information. 
         [0020]    Each Control Node  16  has a configuration database  18  that has the data common to all Access Control Nodes  16  in the cluster  10  as well as local (node-specific) data for each node in the cluster  10 . The Gateway  14  provides access to the configuration database on each Access Control Node  16 . In the embodiment shown in  FIG. 1 , the Gateway  14  contains an optional configuration database  28  with the data common to all nodes  16  in the cluster  10 . 
         [0021]    The Gateway  14  also includes a web server  26  and a Communications Interface  24  that allows the web server  26  to disseminate information to each individual Access Control Node  16 . The Communications Interface  24  implements a message based communication protocol, e.g., Binary Access Protocol, to facilitate communication between the Gateway  14  and the downstream Access Control Nodes  16 . Binary Access Protocol is described in more detail below. 
         [0022]    The architecture of the Access Control Cluster  10  is not limited to any particular network or media type. Network and/or media may include, but are not limited to, serial communications (RS-232, RS485), LAN connections such as Ethernet, general internet connections, intranet connections, and wireless communications, e.g., cellular, Zigbee. As shown in  FIG. 2 , the architecture allows multiple Gateway Access Control Nodes or gateway controllers  16 ,  30  to access the Cluster  10 . A backup/secondary gateway controller  30  can provide access in the event that the primary gateway controller  16  is off line. 
         [0023]    Configurations with multiple peer gateway controllers are also possible, whereby simultaneous access to the cluster data in the Configuration Databases  18  for each Node  16  is coordinated by these peer gateway controllers. 
         [0024]    In one embodiment, a group of Access Control Nodes  16  in the Access Control Cluster  10  may be partitioned in sub-clusters  32 , as shown in  FIG. 3 . When sub-clustering is used, Access Control Nodes  16  are assigned to a sub-cluster  32 . A Common object  20  may be designated as cluster wide or defined uniquely for a sub-cluster. Sub-clustering allows for data to be shared as Common object  20  among all cluster members, and also allows for variations in data between sub-cluster objects  34  and common to only a subset of gateways or controllers  14  within the main Access Control Cluster  10 . 
         [0025]    Binary Access Protocol provides the web server  26  of the Gateway Access Control Panel  14  with the ability to manage and control the panels or Access Control Nodes  16 , including functions such as system configuration data management, panel system control and application upgrades. Binary Access Protocol is an asymmetric Command/Response protocol in which all commands are initiated by a host or web server running on the Gateway Access Control Panel  14 . The Protocol supports both traditional commands and a new set of “binary” commands. Fields in the protocol message that are multi-byte integers are stored in big Endian format, that is, with the most significant byte first and the least significant byte last. Protocol header information, which is counted in the message size, includes the source of the message, the destination, i.e. node or panel, for the message, the message type, version, unique sequence number, most and least significant byte of message data length, message data and an end of message indicator. At least four message types are supported, including database commands, system commands, image management commands, and event management commands. 
         [0026]      FIG. 4  illustrates the steps in an exemplary embodiment of the inventive system shown in  FIG. 1 . In Step S 1 , a user accesses the web server  26  in the Gateway Access Control Point  14  using a network enabled browser device  12 . The web server  26  presents a list of panels or Access Control Nodes  16  available to the user from the Gateway  14  in Step S 2 . The user, in step S 3 , then either selects a Node  16  from the list and requests modification of the selected node  16 , or indicates that a new node  16  is to be added. In step S 4 , the Gateway  14  transmits the node creation or modification information to the selected node  16  using Binary Access Protocol. Finally, in step S 5 , the selected node  16  is modified, or the new node  16  is established, in accordance with the user&#39;s request. New nodes are self-initialized and ready for service when powered up; typically, each new node contains a minimal configuration database with factory default settings. When a node  16  is connected to a cluster  10  containing a Gateway  14 , it may be configured to automatically detect and synchronize or update the common database of the new node&#39;s configuration database  18 . If the Gateway  14  is not configured to automatically detect and update the new node  16 , it can be updated by manually requesting synchronization from the Gateway  14 . 
         [0027]      FIG. 5  illustrates the steps in another embodiment of the inventive system shown in  FIG. 1 . As above, in Step St, a user accesses the web server  26  in the Gateway Access Control Point  14  using a network enabled browser device  12 , and the web server  26  presents a list of Access Control Nodes  16  available to the user from the Gateway  14  in Step S 2 . In step S 6  of this embodiment, the user requests modification of the data common to all nodes  16  in the Cluster  10 . In step S 7 , the Gateway  14  simultaneously updates all Common data  20  in each Access Control Node  16  configuration database  18  and also updates the Local data  22  of the node(s) selected in S 3 . As above, the transmission of the modification to the nodes  16  is done using Binary Access Protocol. Finally, in step S 8 , the Common object  20  of the configuration databases  18  in all nodes  16  is modified or updated in accordance with the user&#39;s request. Also in S 8 , the Local data  22  of the nodes selected in S 3  are update in accordance with the user&#39;s request. 
         [0028]    The embodiments described above are illustrative examples and it should not be construed that the present invention is limited to these particular embodiments. Thus, various changes and modifications may be effected by one skilled in the art without departing from the spirit or scope of the invention as defined in the appended claims.