Patent ID: 8791790

Claim:
An access system allowing a user to access a structure using a wireless user device, the access system comprising: a database storing access permissions identifying at least one wireless user device authorized to access said structure and one access node authorized to permit access to said structure; a mechanical locking device securing a door of said structure, said locking device having a short-range wireless receiver suitable for receiving unlock commands and responding by unlocking said door; an access node, separate from said mechanical locking device and said door, positioned near said structure comprising: a first short-range wireless radio using a first wireless networking standard for receiving a wireless access request directly from a wireless user device; and a second short-range wireless radio using a second wireless networking standard which is different than said first wireless networking standard for transmitting an unlock command directly to said mechanical locking device to permit access to said structure in response to receiving an authorized request, wherein said second wireless networking standard is the same as that implemented by the short-range wireless receiver of the mechanical locking device; and a server operable to receive an unlock request associated with a wireless user device and a structure from said first short-range wireless radio of said access node and transmit an authorized request to said access node upon authorizing said unlock request using said database, wherein said unlock request is authorized only if received from an access node authorized to permit access to said structure and originated from a wireless user device authorized to access said structure.