Patent Description:
Currently, in today's era of technology, a user may easily book a room in a hotel through a hotel website or by using an application. Once the room is booked, the user may be notified with booking information such as date of booking, period of stay, type of room, or services opted by the user. When the user reaches the hotel, the user shows his booking information to a hotel staff or at a reception of the hotel and then the hotel staff requests the user to complete check-in formalities at the reception. After the user completes all the check-in formalities, the hotel staff issues a physical card to the user for accessing the room. The existing procedure for completing the check-in formalities and providing access of the room to the user is a time-consuming task.

Further, sometimes, when the user reaches the hotel, the hotel staff may be busy in attending other users at the reception. This also causes delay in completing the check-in formalities for the user that makes the user wait till the time formalities are completed. Also, the user cannot use the room till the time his/her check-in formalities are completed. Additionally, a situation may arise when a network or a front-desk system of the hotel is not working/operational, which further causes delay in completing the check-in formalities. Such situations may lead to frustration and cause inconvenience to the user which creates a bad impression on the user. As a result, the user may not choose the same hotel next time and the hotel may lose the business. Moreover, it is very important for the hotel to provide convenience and good services to the user to sustain in competitive business.

In view of the afore-mentioned problems, there is a need of a solution for providing easy check-in formalities to a user of the hotel which does not cause delay in providing access of the room to the user. There is also a need of a system and method that provides check-in to the user without going through check-in formalities at the reception. There is also a requirement of a solution that provides check-in to the user even when the network or the front-desk system is not working or when there are other users at the reception. In order to solve the afore-mentioned problems, a system and a method is disclosed.

<CIT> discloses methods of providing a guest with security credentials to gain access to a guest room.

<CIT> discloses systems and methods for authenticating a passive smart device for unlocking an electronic lock.

<CIT> is related to a system for facilitating remote check-in to a user in a room, of a hotel, booked by the user.

Viewed from a first aspect, the present invention provides a method as claimed in claim <NUM>.

Optionally, the received user credentials are compared with the generated user credentials for validation.

Optionally, the accessing device identifies if a user of the user device has opted for one or more privileges to access the accessing device and generates the user credentials if the user has opted for the one or more privileges.

Optionally, the one or more privileges comprise a privilege provided to the user to access the accessing device in an emergency situation. Further, the emergency situation optionally comprises a network failure situation, a front-desk system failure situation, an access card loss situation or an over-crowded front-desk situation.

Optionally, the access card is detected by the accessing device from a pre-defined distance range.

Optionally, the accessing device detects the access card based on an identifier of the access card.

Optionally, the communication between the accessing device and the user device corresponds to a short-range communication.

Optionally, the user credentials generated by the accessing device are updated to other accessing devices associated with other facilities in the premises.

In a second aspect, the present invention provides an accessing device as claimed in claim <NUM>.

Optionally, the accessing device is adapted to identify if a user of the user device has opted for one or more privileges to access the accessing device and adapted to generate the user credentials if the user has opted for the one or more privileges.

Optionally, the communication between with accessing device and the user device corresponds to a short-range communication.

In a third aspect, the present invention provides computer readable medium as claimed in claim <NUM>.

This summary is provided to introduce a selection of concepts in a simplified form from those that are further described below in the detailed description.

Other aspects, advantages, and salient features of the invention will become apparent to those skilled in the art from the following detailed description, which, taken in conjunction with the annexed drawings, discloses exemplary embodiments of the invention.

Described herein is the technology for a device and a method for providing easy access of an accessing device to a user. Further, the accessing device may communicate with a user device of the user through a short-range communication. Also, the accessing device may communicate with a server through a cellular communication.

As used herein, the accessing device is installed on a premises and may comprise a communication unit, a detection unit, a generation unit, a keypad, a processor and a memory. The accessing device comprises a lock, and may be a smart lock, an electromechanical lock, an electronic lock or any such device that is understood by a person skilled in the art, Also, the premises can be a building, a door, a room with a door or a floor where the accessing device can be installed.

As used herein, the user device is associated with a user, wherein the user may be a guest, an agent or any person who wishes to access the accessing device. The user device may be a desktop computer or a hand held device such as a mobile phone with network connectivity. Example of the user device includes a desktop, workstation PC, a laptop, a smart phone, a tablet, a wearable device and the like.

As used herein, the server has one or more processing capabilities and may also communicate with the accessing device and a front desk system through a cellular communication. The server may be a cloud storage, a remote database, or any such storage known in the art.

As used herein, the front desk system is associated with a staff personnel. The front desk system may be a desktop computer or a hand held device such as a mobile phone with network connectivity. Example of the front desk system includes a desktop, workstation PC, a laptop, a smart phone, a tablet, a wearable device and the like.

As used herein, the short-range communication may refer to a communication established through a Wi-Fi access point, a Bluetooth network, a near-field network, or a ZigBee network or any such communication that is known in the art.

As used herein, the cellular communication may refer to a communication established through a Global System for Mobile (GSM) network, Long-Term Evolution (LTE) network, a code-division multiple access (CDMA) network, a narrow-band internet of thing (NB-IoT) technique or category M1 technique or any such communication that is known in the art.

Throughout the specification, reference numeral <NUM> can be considered as one or more network. The reference numeral 114A, 114B, 114C. 114N can be considered as a single network.

<FIG> depicts an exemplary architecture <NUM> for providing access of an accessing device to a user, according to an exemplary embodiment of the invention. The exemplary architecture <NUM> comprises a premises <NUM>, an accessing device <NUM> associated with the premises <NUM>, an access card <NUM>, a first staff personnel 108A, a user <NUM> associated with a user device <NUM>, a server <NUM> connected with a network <NUM> and a second staff personnel 108B associated with a front desk system <NUM>. As can be seen in <FIG>, the accessing device <NUM> may be connected with the server <NUM> through the network 114A and the front desk system <NUM> may be connected with the server <NUM> through the network 114B.

Considering an exemplary situation, when the user <NUM> has booked the premises <NUM> of a hotel and reaches the hotel, then the user <NUM> may request the first staff personnel 108A to assist the user <NUM> to check-in or access the premises <NUM> of the hotel. In order to help the user <NUM>, the first staff personnel 108A may escort the user <NUM> to the premises <NUM>. When the first staff personnel 108A and the user <NUM> reach the premises <NUM>, the first staff personnel 108A may present the access card <NUM> to the accessing device <NUM> associated with the premises <NUM>. Such access card <NUM> may be associated with the hotel and may be pre-configured with details of the hotel. For example, the first staff personnel 108A may perform a special operation like presenting the access card <NUM> to the accessing device <NUM> three times in succession within a duration of <NUM> minutes. The accessing device <NUM> may understand the said pattern of presenting the access card <NUM> and then establish a communication with the user device <NUM> through a short-range communication.

The accessing device <NUM> may detect the access card <NUM> when the access card <NUM> is present in a pre-defined distance range of the accessing device <NUM>. Also, the accessing device <NUM> may detect the access card based on an identifier of the access card <NUM>. The accessing device <NUM> may detect the access card <NUM> through infra-red (IR) technology, radio-frequency identification (RFID) technology, Bluetooth technology, near-filed communication technology or any such technology known in the art.

Once the accessing device <NUM> detects the access card <NUM>, the accessing device <NUM> establishes a communication with the user device <NUM> of the user <NUM>. In an embodiment, the communication between the user device <NUM> and the accessing device <NUM> may be a short-range communication. In an alternative embodiment, the communication between the user device <NUM> and the accessing device <NUM> may be a cellular communication. After, the communication between the user device <NUM> and the accessing device <NUM> is established, the accessing device <NUM> generates user credentials for the user <NUM> to access the accessing device <NUM> associated with the premises <NUM>. In an embodiment, the accessing device <NUM> may generate user credentials based on a booking information of the user <NUM>, wherein the booking information is present in an application (of the hotel or through which the user <NUM> has done the booking of the premises <NUM>) stored in the user device <NUM>. In particular, the accessing device <NUM> may request the booking information through the short-range communication from the application stored in the user device <NUM>. In turn, the user device <NUM> transmits the booking information from the application stored in the user device <NUM> to the accessing device <NUM>. In an alternative embodiment, the accessing device <NUM> may request the booking information of the user <NUM> from the server <NUM> through the network 114A. As used herein, the user credentials may be a unique identifier, a pin number, an alphanumeric password, a command which enables an option of an unlocking of the premises <NUM> at the user device <NUM> or any such user credentials known in the art.

Then, the accessing device <NUM> transmits the generated user credentials to the user device <NUM> e.g. through the short-range communication. Subsequently, the user device <NUM> may receive the user credentials through the short-range communication and then the user <NUM> of the user device <NUM> may use the user credentials to access the accessing device <NUM> associated with the premises <NUM>. In particular, the user <NUM> may enter the user credentials in the accessing device <NUM> or may click on an option provided in the application of the hotel to communicate the user credentials to the accessing device <NUM>. The accessing device <NUM> receives the user credentials from the user device <NUM> and then validates the user credentials received from the user device <NUM> with the user credentials generated by the accessing device <NUM>. Specifically, the accessing device <NUM> may compare the user credentials received from the user device <NUM> with the user credentials generated by the accessing device <NUM>. If the user credentials received from the user device <NUM> matches with the user credentials generated by the accessing device <NUM>, then the accessing device <NUM> will provide access of the accessing device <NUM> to the user <NUM>. Alternatively, if the user credentials received from the user device <NUM> do not match with the user credentials generated by the accessing device <NUM>, then the accessing device <NUM> will not provide access of the accessing device <NUM> to the user <NUM>.

Further, the present invention also encompasses the accessing device <NUM> to communicate with the server <NUM> through the network 114A to update the user credentials provided to the user <NUM> to access the accessing device <NUM> associated with the premises <NUM>. Also, the second staff personnel 108B associated with the front desk system <NUM> may communicate with the server <NUM> through the network 114B to receive the user credentials allocated by the accessing device <NUM> to the user <NUM> to access the accessing device <NUM>.

The present invention further facilitates the accessing device <NUM> to generate the user credentials user <NUM> of the user device <NUM> if the user <NUM> of the user device <NUM> has opted for one or more privileges to access the accessing device <NUM>. In an embodiment, the one or more privileges can be opted by the user <NUM> while booking the premises <NUM>. In another embodiment, the one or more privileges can be opted by the user <NUM> after reaching the hotel. In order to determine if the user <NUM> of the user device <NUM> has opted for the one or more privileges, the accessing device <NUM> may request the application stored in the user device <NUM> to confirm if the user <NUM> of the user device <NUM> has opted for the one or more privileges. The application may determine this by checking the booking information for the premises <NUM> done by the user <NUM>. Then, the application may communicate with the accessing device <NUM> to confirm if the user <NUM> of the user device <NUM> has opted for the one or more privileges or not. In an alternative embodiment, the accessing device <NUM> may communicate the server <NUM> through the network 114A to determine if the user <NUM> of the user device <NUM> has opted for the one or more privileges or not. Moreover, the second staff personnel 108B associated with the front desk system <NUM> may also access the booking information as well as any other information of the hotel from the server <NUM> through the network 114B.

Moreover, the one or more privileges may comprise a privilege provided to the user <NUM> to access the accessing device <NUM> in an emergency situation. The user <NUM> may also avail one or more features/facilities in the premises <NUM> of a hotel or may avail coupon codes as well to access the accessing device <NUM>. As used herein, the emergency situation may comprise a situation of the network <NUM> failure, a situation of the front-desk system <NUM> failure, the access card <NUM> loss situation and/or an over-crowded front desk situation. The network failure situation may occur when the network is not functional or operational in any place or building or the hotel. Such network may be a cellular network, a room service network, a short-range network or any such network known in the art. Further, the front-desk system failure situation may arise when the front-desk system does not function or operate due to any technical reason or any other reason. The over-crowded front desk situation may occur when there is an unexpected huge crowd at a reception or front desk or any place or building or the hotel. The access card loss situation occurs when the user of the premises loses the access card associated with the premises and needs to access the premises without using the access card.

The present invention also facilitates the accessing device <NUM> to transmit the user credentials generated for the premises <NUM> to other accessing device associated with other facilities in the premises through a subnet, a room service network, a short-range network or a cellular network. For an instance, the accessing device <NUM> associated with the premises <NUM> may transmit an update message to an accessing device associated with a restaurant, an accessing device associated with a gym or an accessing device associated with a swimming pool of the hotel. The accessing device <NUM> associated with the premises <NUM> updates the other accessing device for the user credentials provided to the user <NUM> for the premises <NUM> so that that user <NUM> of the premises <NUM> easily gets access to the other premises in the hotel without any intervention.

Although the present invention has been described with a scenario where the user <NUM> wishes to access the accessing device <NUM> of a hotel; however it is well understood for the person skilled in the art that such solution can be also implemented in other buildings like colleges, university, hospitals, offices or any such place where the accessing devices are used to allow or deny access to the user.

<FIG> depicts block diagram of different components in an accessing device <NUM> according to an exemplary embodiment of the invention. The accessing device <NUM> may comprise a communication unit <NUM>, a detection unit <NUM>, a generation unit <NUM>, a processor <NUM> and a memory <NUM>. The detection unit <NUM> of the accessing device <NUM> may be adapted to detect an access card <NUM> by the accessing device <NUM> associated with a premises <NUM>. The communication unit <NUM> may be adapted to communicate with the user device <NUM> through the short-range communication. The communication unit <NUM> may also be adapted to communicate with the server <NUM> through the cellular communication. Further, the communication unit <NUM> may be adapted to establish a communication between the accessing device <NUM> and the user device <NUM> after detecting the access card <NUM>. In an embodiment, the communication unit <NUM> may be a short-range transceiver. In another embodiment, the communication unit <NUM> may be a cellular transceiver. The generation unit <NUM> may be adapted to generate user credentials for the user <NUM> of the user device <NUM> to access the accessing device <NUM>. The communication unit <NUM> may also be adapted to transmit the user credentials to the user device <NUM> to access the accessing device <NUM>. The communication unit <NUM> may further be adapted to receive the user credentials from the user <NUM>. Moreover, the processor <NUM> may be adapted to validate the user credentials received from the user <NUM> by comparing the user credentials received from the user <NUM> with the user credentials generated by the accessing device <NUM>. The memory <NUM> may be adapted to store the user credentials generated by the accessing device <NUM>, an identifier of the accessing device, an identifier of the premises <NUM> and/or identifier of the user device <NUM>. The processor <NUM> may be communicably coupled with the communication unit <NUM>, the detection unit <NUM>, the generation unit <NUM>, and/or the memory <NUM>.

<FIG> depicts block diagram of different components in a user device <NUM> according to an exemplary embodiment of the invention. The user device <NUM> may comprise a communication unit <NUM>, an interface <NUM>, a processor <NUM> and a memory <NUM>. The communication unit <NUM> may be adapted to communicate with the accessing device <NUM> through the short-range communication or the cellular communication. Further, the communication unit <NUM> may be adapted to establish a communication between the accessing device <NUM> and the user device <NUM>. In an embodiment, the communication unit <NUM> may be a short-range transceiver. In another embodiment, the communication unit <NUM> may be a cellular transceiver. The interface <NUM> may be adapted to display an application of the hotel or any service on the user device <NUM>. The memory <NUM> may be adapted to store the application, the user credentials, and an identifier of the accessing device, an identifier of the premises <NUM> and/or identifier of the user device <NUM>. The processor <NUM> may be communicably coupled with the communication unit <NUM>, the interface <NUM>, and/or the memory <NUM>.

<FIG> depicts an exemplary flowchart illustrating a method to perform the invention according to an exemplary embodiment of the invention. The method flowchart <NUM> describes a method being performed for enabling the invention. The method flowchart <NUM> starts at step <NUM>.

At step <NUM>, the accessing device <NUM> detects the access card <NUM>. The accessing device <NUM> may detect the access card <NUM> when the access card <NUM> is present in a pre-defined distance range of the accessing device <NUM>. Also, the accessing device <NUM> may detect the access card based on an identifier of the access card <NUM>.

At step <NUM>, the accessing device <NUM> establishes a communication with the user device <NUM> of the user <NUM> after detecting the access card <NUM>. In an embodiment, the communication between the user device <NUM> and the accessing device <NUM> may be a short-range communication. In an alternative embodiment, the communication between the user device <NUM> and the accessing device <NUM> may be a cellular communication.

At step <NUM>, the accessing device <NUM> generates user credentials for the user <NUM> to access the accessing device <NUM> associated with the premises <NUM> after establishing the communication between the user device <NUM> and the accessing device <NUM>.

At step <NUM>, the accessing device <NUM> transmits the user credentials to the user device <NUM> through the short-range communication. The method <NUM> may end at step <NUM>.

The present invention is applicable in various industries/fields such as, but not limited to, hospitality industry, housing industry, building/construction industry, offices, hospitals, and any such industry/field where the accessing devices are used and that is well known in the art.

The present invention provides the following technical advantages over the existing solutions in the market: a) provides convenience to the user by providing access to the user without completing the check-in formalities, b) eliminate usage of issuing access card to the user and carrying the access card by the user, c) provides alternative solution for handling user in emergency situation, d) does not require any manual intervention for providing access to the user and e) offers continuous assistance to the user even when there is a failure.

In one embodiment of the invention, the invention can be operated using the one or more computer readable devices comprising a computer readable medium. The computer readable medium of the computer readable devices is configured to a computer readable medium is disclosed comprising one or more processors and a memory coupled to the one or more processors. The memory stores instructions which are executed by the one or more processors to detect an access card <NUM> by an accessing device <NUM> associated with a premises <NUM> and establish a communication between the accessing device <NUM> and a user device <NUM> after detecting the access card <NUM>. The memory also stores instructions which are executed by the one or more processors to generate user credentials for a user <NUM> of the user device <NUM> to access the accessing device <NUM> and transmit the user credentials to the user device <NUM> to access the accessing device <NUM> using the user credentials.

Exemplary computer readable media includes flash memory drives, digital versatile discs (DVDs), compact discs (CDs), floppy disks, and tape cassettes. By way of example and not limitation, computer readable media comprise computer storage media and communication media. Computer storage media include volatile and nonvolatile, removable and non-removable media implemented in any method or technology for storage of information such as computer readable instructions, data structures, program modules or other data. Computer storage media are tangible and mutually exclusive to communication media. Computer storage media are implemented in hardware and exclude carrier waves and propagated signals. Computer storage media for purposes of this invention are not signals per se. Exemplary computer storage media include hard disks, flash drives, and other solid-state memory. In contrast, communication media typically embody computer readable instructions, data structures, program modules, or other data in a modulated data signal such as a carrier wave or other transport mechanism and include any information delivery media.

Although described in connection with an exemplary computing system environment, examples of the invention are capable of implementation with numerous other general purpose or special purpose computing system environments, configurations, or devices. Examples of the invention may be described in the general context of computer-executable instructions, such as program modules, executed by one or more computers or other devices in software, firmware, hardware, or a combination thereof. Aspects of the invention may be implemented with any number and organization of such components or modules. Other examples of the invention may include different computer-executable instructions or components having more or less functionality than illustrated and described herein.

Aspects of the invention transform a general-purpose computer into a special-purpose computing device when configured to execute the instructions described herein.

The order of execution or performance of the operations in examples of the invention illustrated and described herein is not essential, unless otherwise specified. That is, the operations may be performed in any order, unless otherwise specified, and examples of the invention may include additional or fewer operations than those disclosed herein. For example, it is contemplated that executing or performing a particular operation before, contemporaneously with, or after another operation is within the scope of aspects of the invention.

Claim 1:
A method comprising:
- detecting (<NUM>) an access card (<NUM>) by an accessing device (<NUM>) associated with a premises (<NUM>), wherein the accessing device comprises a lock for installation on the premises;
- establishing (<NUM>) a communication between the accessing device and a user device (<NUM>) after detecting the access card;
- generating (<NUM>), by the accessing device after the communication between the accessing device and the user device is established, user credentials for a user of the user device to access the accessing device;
- transmitting (<NUM>) the user credentials to the user device to access the accessing device using the user credentials; and
- receiving, at the accessing device, the user credentials from the user and providing access to the user based on a validation of the user credentials.