Patent Publication Number: US-2019188935-A1

Title: Cloud-based wireless communication system and method

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS 
     The present application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 61/684,128 filed on Aug. 16, 2012, the contents of which are incorporated herein by reference in their entirety. 
    
    
     BACKGROUND 
     Various devices may be employed for providing information, such as updated information, to a reader device. Some existing systems have various shortcomings relative to certain applications. Accordingly, there remains a need for further contributions in this area of technology. 
     SUMMARY 
     One embodiment of the present invention is a unique wireless communication system and method. Other embodiments include apparatuses, systems, devices, hardware, methods, and combinations for a wireless communication system. Further embodiments, forms, features, aspects, benefits, and advantages of the present application shall become apparent from the description and figures provided herewith. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE FIGURES 
       The description herein makes reference to the accompanying figures wherein like reference numerals refer to like parts throughout the several views, and wherein: 
         FIG. 1  is a schematic block diagram of an exemplary system according to one form of the present invention. 
         FIG. 2  is a schematic block diagram of an exemplary computing device. 
         FIG. 3  is a schematic flow diagram of an exemplary process for communicating with a reader device. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE ILLUSTRATIVE EMBODIMENTS 
     For the purposes of promoting an understanding of the principles of the invention, reference will now be made to the embodiments illustrated in the drawings and specific language will be used to describe the same. It will nevertheless be understood that no limitation on the scope of the invention is hereby intended. Any alterations and further modifications in the described embodiments, and any further applications of the principles of the invention as described herein are contemplated as would normally occur to one skilled in the art to which the invention relates. 
       FIG. 1  illustrates an exemplary system  100 . In the embodiment shown in  FIG. 1  the system  100  is an access control system. It is contemplated that in other embodiments, the system  100  may be directed to a payment system, a transit system, or any other system that utilizes a credential or a unique identifier. The system  100  generally includes a server or credential management device  102 , a mobile device  104 , a computer or computing device  106 , and a reader device  108 . The server  102  may provide a credential management service which, in the illustrated embodiment, includes a cloud application  110 . The credential management service, via the cloud application  110 , may generally maintain a database  111  of access control information, alarm information, and/or audit history information for various assets. It is contemplated that the type of data stored in the database  111  may vary depending on the type of system (e.g., access control system, payment system, transit system, etc.). The server  102  may include multiple servers. Additionally, the server  102  may communicate with the mobile device  104  and/or the computer  106  via the Internet. 
     In the embodiment shown in  FIG. 1 , the mobile device  104  is a mobile phone such as, for example, a cell phone or smartphone. However, it is contemplated that in other embodiments, the mobile device  104  may be a tablet computer, a smartcard, or any or any other mobile computing or communication device that can store data and communicate with the reader device  108 . It is also contemplated that the computer  106  may be any type of computing device such as, for example, a desktop computer, a laptop computer, a tablet computer, a mobile device (e.g., a smartphone), and/or other suitable computing devices know to those skilled in the art. In the embodiment shown in  FIG. 1 , the reader device  108  is associated with an electronic lock and is configured to communicate with the mobile device  104 . However, it is contemplated that in other embodiments, the reader device  108  may be any other type of device configured to communicate with the mobile device  104  and receive and/or process credential information or a unique identifier. 
     In some embodiments, the system  100  utilizes one or more mobile devices  104  as a transport or delivery mechanism for delivering information (e.g., access privileges) to the reader device  108  and/or for receiving alarm information and/or audit history feedback from the reader device  108 . The mobile device  104  may include a near field communication (NFC) transceiver configured to communicate with a NFC transceiver that is part of the reader device  108 . It is contemplated that the mobile device  104  and the reader device  108  may communicate via a protocol other than NFC such as, for example, Bluetooth including Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) or any other appropriate communication protocol. The reader device  108  may be integrated into an electronic lock or be associated with an electronic lock. Other types of suitable reader devices  108  are also contemplated as would occur to those skilled in the art. 
     The reader devices  108  (e.g., electronic locks) may be incorporated into doors or other access restriction structures or devices. The mobile device  104  is configured to wirelessly communicate with the cloud application  110  in the server  102  via an Internet connection, which may utilize, for example, a cellular data network or other types of wireless communication networks. The mobile device  104  includes a memory for storing viral data  112  such as, for example, access control information, alarm information, and/or audit histories. The mobile device  104  may be configured to transmit feedback data in real-time back to the server  102  including the cloud application  110 . The mobile device  104  is configured to implement “viral data” which includes data that does not pertain to a particular user, but generally pertains to several users. Furthermore, the user is generally unaware that the user is delivering and/or receiving viral data. 
     The computer  106  may be used to create, update, or otherwise modify access information  114  stored at the server  102 . Generally, when the server  102  receives access information  114  from the computer  106  to be transmitted to a particular reader device  108 , the server  102  (via the cloud application  110 ) transmits the access information in the form of viral data  112  to some or all of the mobile devices  104  of users who may access privileges to the reader device  108  that is to be updated. For example, the server  102  (via the cloud application  110 ) may transmit the new or updated data to only the mobile devices  104  that interact with the particular reader device  108  most frequently. As another example, the viral data  112  for the reader device  108  may be delivered to each user (i.e., via mobile devices  104 ) who has immediate access to that reader device  108  so that the next user to approach the reader device  108  will deliver that viral data  112  to the particular reader device  108 . It is contemplated that the viral data  112  may also include firmware updates and/or activation information for the reader device  108 . 
     In one embodiment, when the viral data  112  is delivered by the mobile device  104 , the mobile device  104  may report back to the server  102  to verify that the viral data  112  was successfully transferred. Other mobile devices  104  may then be updated by the server  102  to remove that particular update (i.e., delete the viral data  112 ). It is contemplated that this viral data updating technique may be used with any number of doors and/or reader devices  108 . 
     In some embodiments, the mobile device  104  may receive alarm information and/or audit histories/trails in the form of viral data  112  from a particular reader device  108  immediately whenever someone visits the reader device  108  and/or door. It is contemplated that to ensure the viral data  112  is successfully delivered to the server  102 , the viral data  112  may be transmitted to multiple mobile devices  104  until the reader device  108  receives an update and/or notification that the latest alarm information and/or audit histories/trails were received at the server  102 . Furthermore, it is contemplated that the viral data  112  from the reader device  108  may be delivered to the server  102  immediately upon receipt. The server  102  may store the received alarms and/or audit trails in the database  111 . A user may utilize the computer  106  to access and/or retrieve the alarms and/or audit trails in the database  111 . 
     Generally, the memory of the mobile device  104  stores the viral data  112  (e.g., access privileges, alarms, and/or audit history data) so that the viral data  112  can be transported from the reader device  108  to the server  102  via the mobile device  104 . Each credential holder (i.e., mobile device  104 ) has virtually unlimited memory for viral data  112  such as, for example, access privileges, alarm information, audit history data, firmware updates, and/or any other data to be shared between the server  102  and the reader  108 . In one embodiment, the viral data  112  is transmitted from the reader device  108  to the server  102  immediately, which provides near real-time performance. 
     The use of viral data  112  in the system  100  may provide control of off-line reader devices  108  (e.g., electronic locks) and may eliminate the need to tour the reader devices  108  to provide updates to the reader devices  108  or gather alarms and/or audit histories from the reader devices  108 . 
       FIG. 2  is a schematic block diagram of a computing device  200 . The computing device  200  is one example of a server, a mobile device, a computer, and/or a reader device configuration that may be utilized in connection with the server  102 , the mobile device  104 , the computer  106 , and/or the reader device  108  shown  FIG. 1 . The computing device  200  includes a processing device  202 , an input/output device  204 , memory  206 , and operating logic  208 . Furthermore, computing device  200  communicates with one or more external devices  210 . 
     The input/output device  204  allows the computing device  200  to communicate with the external device  210 . For example, the input/output device  204  may be a transceiver, a network adapter, a network card, an interface, or a communication port (e.g., a USB port, serial port, parallel port, an analog port, a digital port, VGA, DVI, HDMI, FireWire, CAT 5, or any other type of communication port or interface). The input/output device  204  may be include hardware, software, and/or firmware. It is also contemplated that the input/output device  204  may include more than one of these adapters, cards, or ports. 
     The external device  210  may be any type of device that allows data to be inputted or outputted from the computing device  200 . For example, the external device  210  may be a mobile device, a reader device, other electronic equipment, a handheld computer, a diagnostic tool, a controller, a computer, a server, a processing system, a printer, a display, an alarm, an illuminated indicator such as a status indicator, a keyboard, a mouse, or a touch screen display. Furthermore, it is contemplated that the external device  210  may be integrated into the computing device  200 . It is further contemplated that there may be more than one external device in communication with the computing device  200 . 
     Processing device  202  can be a programmable type, a dedicated hardwired state machine, or any combination thereof. The processing device  202  may further include multiple processors, Arithmetic-Logic Units (ALUs), Central Processing Units (CPUs), Digital Signal Processors (DSPs), or the like. Processing devices  202  with multiple processing units may utilize distributed, pipelined, and/or parallel processing. Processing device  202  may be dedicated to performance of just the operations described herein or may be utilized in one or more additional applications. In the depicted form, processing device  202  is of a programmable variety that executes algorithms and processes data in accordance with operating logic  208 , as defined by programming instructions (such as software or firmware) stored in memory  206 . Alternatively or additionally, the operating logic  208  for the processing device  202  is at least partially defined by hardwired logic or other hardware. The processing device  202  may include one or more components of any type suitable to process the signals received from the input/output device  204  or elsewhere, and to provide desired output signals. Such components may include digital circuitry, analog circuitry, or a combination of both. 
     Memory  206  may be of one or more types, such as a solid-state variety, electromagnetic variety, optical variety, or any combination thereof. Furthermore, memory  206  can be volatile, nonvolatile, or a combination of these types, and some or all of memory  206  can be of a portable variety, such as a disk, tape, memory stick, cartridge, or the like. Additionally, memory  206  can store data that is manipulated by the operating logic  208  of the processing device  202 , such as data representative of signals received from and/or sent to input/output device  204  in addition to or in lieu of storing programming instructions defining operating logic  208 , just to name one example. As shown in  FIG. 2 , memory  206  may be included with the processing device  202  and/or coupled to the processing device  202 . 
       FIG. 3  illustrates a schematic flow diagram of an exemplary process  300  for updating information in a reader device. Operations illustrated for all of the processes in the present application are understood to be examples only, and operations may be combined/divided and added/removed as well as re-ordered in whole or in part, unless explicitly stated to the contrary. 
     Process  300  begins at operation  302  in which a user may use the computer  106  to create, update, and/or modify access control information  114  that is transmitted and/or stored at the server  102 . The server  102  may store the access control information  114  in the database  111 . 
     Process  300  then proceeds from operation  302  to operation  304 . At operation  304 , the server  102 , via the cloud application  110 , determines which reader device  108  should receive new or updated information or data. The determination may be based on the content of the access control information  114  that is to be delivered to a reader device  108 . For example, the information  114  may include access rights for a particular reader device  108 . It is contemplated that more than one reader device  108  may receive the information  114 , for example, in situations where several doors in a building have overlapping user access lights. 
     Process  300  then proceeds from operation  304  to operation  306 . At operation  306 , the server  102 , via the cloud application  110 , determines which mobile devices  104  should be used to virally transfer the information  114  from the server  102  to the reader device  108 . The server  102 , via the cloud application  110 , may determine the targeted mobile devices  104  based on the access rights associated with each mobile device  104 . For example, the server  102 , via the cloud application  110 , may transmit the information  114  in the form of viral data  112  to some or all of the mobile devices  104  of users who have access privileges to the reader device  108  (and the associated door) that is to receive the information  114 . For example, the server  102 , via the cloud application  110 , may transmit the viral data  112  to only the mobile devices  104  that interact with the particular reader device  108  most frequently. As another example, the viral data  112  for the reader device  108  may be delivered to each mobile device  104  that has access to the particular reader device  108  immediately so that the next mobile device  104  to interact with the particular reader device  108  will deliver that viral data  112  to the reader device  108  as soon as possible. 
     Process  300  then proceeds from operation  306  to operation  308 . At operation  308 , the server  102 , via the cloud application  110 , transmits at least a portion of the information  114  in the form of viral data  112  to one or more of the mobile devices  104 . The server  102  and the mobile devices  104  may communicate over an Internet connection. However, it is contemplated that other communication protocols and/or methods may be used in place of or in addition to the Internet connection. 
     Process  300  then proceeds from operation  308  to operation  310 . At operation  310 , one of the mobile devices  104  may deliver the viral data  112  to the reader device  108 . For example, a user of the mobile device  104  may be attempting to access a secured area using the NFC transceiver in the mobile device  104 . Without the user&#39;s knowledge, the mobile device  104  may transfer a credential and/or other data for the access request, but the mobile device  104  will also transfer the viral data  112  to the reader device  108 . The reader device  108  will then store the viral data  112  in the appropriate location in memory and utilize the viral data  112 . 
     Process  300  then proceeds from operation  310  to operation  312 . At operation  312 , the reader device  108  may send various data to the mobile device  104 . For example, the reader device  108  may send a confirmation that the viral data  112  was successfully stored and/or installed in the reader device  108 . As another example, the reader device  108  may transmit alarms and/or audit information to the mobile device  104 . It is contemplated that the reader device  108  may transfer alarm information and/or audit information in the form of viral data  112  to one or more mobile devices  104  independent of receiving new and/or updated information from the server  102 . 
     Process  300  then proceeds from operation  312  to operation  314 . At operation  314 , the mobile device  104  transfers the viral data  112  that the mobile device  104  received from the reader device  108  to the server  102 . The server  102  and the mobile device  104  may communicate via an Internet connection. If the viral data  112  received from the mobile device  104  is a confirmation of a successful update, the server  102 , via the cloud application  110 , may notify the computer  106  and/or send a command to the other mobile devices  104  that also received the viral data  112  to delete the viral data  112  since the reader device  108  has already been updated successfully. If the viral data  112  constitutes alarm information and/or audit histories, the server  102  may store the alarm information and/or audit histories in the database  111 . 
     Process  300  then proceeds from operation  314  to operation  316 . At operation  316 , the computer  106  may download the alarm information and/or audit histories from the database  111  at the server  102 . 
     The various aspects of the process  300  in the present application may be implemented in the operating logic  208  as operations by software, hardware, artificial intelligence, fuzzy logic, or any combination thereof, or at least partially performed by a user or operator. In certain embodiments, operations represent software elements as a computer program encoded on a computer readable medium, wherein the server  102 , the mobile device  104 , the computer  106 , and/or the reader device  108  performs the described operations when executing the computer program. 
     One aspect of the present application may include a method, comprising: receiving information at a server; storing the information in a database at the server; determining a reader device that is to receive the information based on an analysis of the information; selecting one or more mobile devices to deliver the information to the reader device; and transmitting viral data to the one or more mobile devices, wherein the viral data includes at least a portion of the information. 
     Features of the aspect of the present application may include: transmitting the viral data to the reader device from one of the mobile devices; wherein the mobile device and reader device communicate via near field communication; transmitting audit information from the reader device to one of the mobile devices; receiving the audit information at the server from one of the mobile devices; and storing the audit information in the database at the server; downloading at least a portion of the audit information from the database at the server via a computer; wherein the selecting is based on which mobile devices have access to the reader device; receiving a notification message at the server from the one mobile device, wherein the notification message indicates the reader device was successfully updated; and transmitting a command from the server to all of the other mobile devices to delete the viral data; wherein the information comprises updated access rights for the reader device; wherein the viral data includes a firmware update for the reader device. 
     Another aspect of the present application may include a system, comprising: a server configured to provide a cloud service; one or more mobile devices; and a reader device; and wherein the server is configured to: receive information and store the information in a database at the server, determine the reader device that is to receive the information based on an analysis of the information, select one or more mobile devices to deliver the information to the reader device, and transmit viral data to the one or more mobile devices, wherein the viral data includes at least a portion of the information, wherein the mobile device is configured to receive the viral data from the server and transmit the viral data to the reader device; and wherein the reader device is configured to receive the viral data from the mobile device. 
     Features of the aspect of the present application may include: wherein the one or more mobile devices and the reader device communicate via near field communication; wherein the system is at least one of an access control system, a payment system, and a transit system; wherein the reader device is further configured to transmit audit information to one of the mobile devices, wherein the server is further configured to receive the audit information from one of the mobile devices, and wherein the server is further configured to store the audit information in the database at the server; a computer configured to download at least a portion of the audit information from the database at the server. 
     Yet another aspect of the present application may include an apparatus, comprising: a server configured to receive information, store the information in a database at the server, determine a reader device that is to receive the information based on an analysis of the information, select one or more mobile devices to deliver the information to the reader device, and transmit viral data to the one or more mobile devices, wherein the viral data includes at least a portion of the information. 
     Features of the present application may include: wherein the server is further configured to: host audit information for retrieval by a computer; wherein the server is further configured to: receive a notification message from one of the mobile devices, wherein the notification message indicates the reader device was successfully updated; and transmit a command to at least one other of the mobile devices to delete the viral data; wherein the information comprises updated access rights for the reader device; wherein the viral data includes a firmware update for the reader device; wherein the server is configured to select the one or more mobile devices based on which mobile devices have access to the reader device. 
     While the invention has been illustrated and described in detail in the drawings and foregoing description, the same is to be considered as illustrative and not restrictive in character, it being understood that only the preferred embodiments have been shown and described and that all changes and modifications that come within the spirit of the inventions are desired to be protected. 
     It should be understood that while the use of words such as preferable, preferably, preferred or more preferred utilized in the description above indicate that the feature so described may be more desirable, it nonetheless may not be necessary and embodiments lacking the same may be contemplated as within the scope of the invention, the scope being defined by the claims that follow. In reading the claims, it is intended that when words such as “a,” “an,” “at least one,” or “at least one portion” are used there is no intention to limit the claim to only one item unless specifically stated to the contrary in the claim. When the language “at least a portion” and/or “a portion” is used the item can include a portion and/or the entire item unless specifically stated to the contrary.