Ultra-wideband antenna configurations for physical access control systems

Abstract

The present disclosure relates to a reader, such as a reader for a physical access control system. The reader may include a first antenna and a second antenna, each designed or configured to receive an ultra-wideband (UWB) signal. The reader may also include a mounting plane configured for mounting the reader to a surface. An axis aligning the first antenna and the second antenna may be arranged to be substantially perpendicular relative to the mounting plane. A material may be provided between the first antenna and the second antenna. The material may have a thickness that defines a distance between the first antenna and the second antenna that is less than half the wavelength (λ) of the UWB signal through air. A / 2) thickness, the material being configured to slow down electromagnetic waves passing therethrough, such that the thickness of the material provides at least half the wavelength (λ) of a UWB signal passing through air. A / 2) of the effective separation distance between the first antenna and the second antenna.

Description

[0001] Priority application

[0002] This application claims priority to U.S. Provisional Application Serial No. 62 / 906,342, filed on September 26, 2019, the disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety. Technical Field

[0003] Implementations described herein relate generally to antenna configurations, and more particularly to ultra-wideband antenna configurations for physical access control systems. Background Art

[0004] Ultra-wideband (UWB) is a radio frequency (RF) technology that uses short, low-power pulses across a wide frequency spectrum. The pulses are on the order of millions of individual pulses per second. The width of the spectrum is typically greater than 500 MHz or greater than 20 percent of the arithmetic center frequency.

[0005] UWB can be used to communicate, for example, by encoding data via time modulation (e.g., pulse position coding). Here, a symbol is specified by a pulse on a subset of time units from a set of available time units. Other examples of UWB coding can include amplitude modulation and / or polarity modulation. Compared to carrier-based transmission techniques, wideband transmission tends to be more robust to multipath fading. In addition, the lower power of the pulses at any given frequency tends to reduce interference with carrier-based communication techniques.

[0006] UWB can be used for radar operations, providing positioning accuracy on the scale of tens of centimeters. Due to the potentially variable absorption and reflection of different frequencies in the pulse, both surface features and obstruction (e.g., coverage) features of objects can be detected. In some cases, positioning provides angle of incidence in addition to distance. Summary of the Invention

[0007] The following presents a simplified summary of one or more embodiments of the present disclosure in order to provide a basic understanding of these embodiments. This summary is not an extensive overview of all contemplated embodiments and is neither intended to identify key or important elements of all embodiments nor to delineate the scope of any or all embodiments.

[0008] Physical access control encompasses a range of systems and methods for managing, for example, personnel access to a secure area or asset. Physical access control includes the identification of authorized users or devices (e.g., vehicles, drones, etc.) and the activation of gates, doors, or other devices used to secure the area, or the activation of control mechanisms, such as physical or electronic / software control mechanisms, to allow access to the secure asset. A physical access control system (PACS) can include a reader (e.g., an online reader or an offline reader) that stores authorization data and can determine whether a credential (e.g., from a credential or key device such as a radio frequency identification (RFID) chip in a card, key fob, or personal electronic device such as a mobile phone) is authorized for use with an actuator or control mechanism (e.g., a door lock, door opener, software control mechanism, shutdown alarm, etc.), or the PACS can include a host server to which readers and actuators are connected (e.g., via a controller) in a centrally managed configuration. In a centrally managed configuration, the reader can retrieve credentials from the credential or key device and pass them to the PACS host server. The host server then determines whether the credential authorizes access to the secure area or asset and commands the actuator or other control mechanism accordingly.

[0009] In one or more embodiments, the present disclosure relates to a reader, such as a reader for a PACS. The reader may include a first antenna and a second antenna, each of the first antenna and the second antenna being designed or configured to receive a UWB signal. The reader may also include or define a mounting plane configured for mounting the reader to a surface, such as a wall (or other boundary that may define a secure area). The axis that aligns the first antenna and the second antenna (e.g., the antenna axis) may be arranged substantially out of plane (e.g., at a non-zero angle or non-parallel angle) relative to the mounting plane. In some cases, the antenna axis may be arranged substantially perpendicular to the mounting plane. In some aspects, a material may be provided between the first antenna and the second antenna. The material may have a thickness that defines a distance between the first antenna and the second antenna that is less than half the wavelength (λ) of the UWB signal traveling through air. A / 2) thickness, the material being configured to slow down electromagnetic waves passing therethrough, such that the thickness of the material provides at least half the wavelength (λ) of a UWB signal passing through air. A / 2) of the effective separation distance between the first antenna and the second antenna.

[0010] In one or more embodiments, the present disclosure further relates to a reader, such as a reader for a PACS. The reader may include a first antenna and a second antenna, each of the first antenna and the second antenna being designed or configured to receive a UWB signal. The axis that aligns the first antenna and the second antenna (e.g., the antenna axis) may be arranged substantially out of plane (e.g., at a non-zero angle or non-parallel angle) relative to the surface to which the reader is to be mounted. In some cases, the antenna axis may be arranged to be substantially perpendicular to the surface to which the reader is to be mounted. Additionally, in some aspects, a material may be provided between the first antenna and the second antenna. The material may have a material that defines a distance between the first antenna and the second antenna that is less than half the wavelength (λ) of the UWB signal through air. A / 2) thickness, the material being configured to slow down electromagnetic waves passing therethrough, such that the thickness of the material provides at least half the wavelength (λ) of a UWB signal passing through air. A / 2) of the functional separation distance between the first antenna and the second antenna.

[0011] In one or more embodiments, the present disclosure also relates to a UWB antenna configuration. The UWB antenna configuration may include a first antenna and a second antenna designed or configured to receive a UWB signal, and a material between the first antenna and the second antenna having a distance between the first antenna and the second antenna that is less than half the wavelength (λ) of the UWB signal passing through air. A / 2), the material being configured to slow down electromagnetic waves passing therethrough, such that the thickness of the material provides an effective separation distance between the first antenna and the second antenna of at least half a wavelength (λ) of a UWB signal passing through air. A / 2).

[0012] In one or more embodiments, the present disclosure further relates to a method for determining a user's intent to access a secure area protected by a secure access point. The method may include receiving a UWB signal from a credential device at each of a first UWB antenna and a second UWB antenna, determining positioning data related to the credential device based on the UWB signal, determining whether the credential device is outside or inside the secure area based on a time at which the UWB signal is received at each of the first UWB antenna and the second UWB antenna, and determining whether the user appears to be indicating intent to access the secure area based on the positioning data and the determination of whether the credential device is outside or inside the secure area. The method may further include receiving credential information from the credential device, validating the credential information, and, if the credential information is valid and it has been determined that the user has indicated intent to access the secure area, allowing access to the secure area by the user of the credential device. In some cases, validating the credential information is performed after it has been determined that the user has indicated intent to access the secure area. In some cases, validating the credential information is performed before or concurrently with determining that the user has indicated intent to access the secure area.

[0013] Although a plurality of embodiments are disclosed, other embodiments of the present disclosure will become apparent to those skilled in the art from the following detailed description, which shows and describes illustrative embodiments of the present invention. As will be appreciated, the various embodiments of the present disclosure are capable of modification in various obvious respects, all without departing from the scope of the present disclosure. Accordingly, the drawings and detailed description are to be regarded as illustrative and not restrictive in nature. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0014] In the accompanying drawings, which are not necessarily drawn to scale, the same reference numerals may describe the same components in different views. Similar reference numerals with different letter suffixes may represent different instances of similar components. Some embodiments are shown by way of example and not limitation in the figures of the accompanying drawings, in which:

[0015] Figure 1 shows a front view of an example PACS or portion thereof;

[0016] Figure 2 shows a top cross-sectional view of an example PACS or portion thereof;

[0017] Figure 3 A block diagram schematic diagram illustrating various components of an example PACS reader;

[0018] Figure 4A block diagram schematically illustrates various example components of an example machine that may be used, for example, as a PACS control panel or a PACS host server;

[0019] Figure 5 A block diagram schematic diagram showing an example PACS reader mounted to a wall;

[0020] Figure 6 Shown Figure 5 Additional aspects of the reader;

[0021] Figure 7 A block diagram illustrating an arrangement of UWB antennas and a material having a dielectric constant selected to slow down electromagnetic waves or fields passing therethrough disposed between the UWB antennas, or a material otherwise selected, designed, or configured to slow down electromagnetic waves or fields passing therethrough disposed therethrough between the UWB antennas; and

[0022] Figure 8 Flowchart of a method for controlling or allowing authorized access to a secure area in a PACS including access points such as doors, gates, turnstiles, etc. for determining a user's intention to access the secure area and allowing / denying the access. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0023] The present disclosure generally relates to antenna configurations, and more particularly to UWB antenna configurations for physical access control systems. The present disclosure further generally relates to UWB antenna configurations for determining the location of a credential, and more particularly to determining which side of an access point, such as a door, gate, turnstile, etc., the credential is located, which can help understand or determine a user's intent to access a secure area. The present disclosure also generally relates to methods for determining a user's intent to access a secure area, for example, by accessing a secure area using a device having such a UWB antenna configuration.

[0024] As indicated above, physical access control generally encompasses a range of systems and methods for managing, for example, access by personnel to a secure area or secure asset. Physical access control includes the identification of authorized users or devices (e.g., vehicles, drones, etc.) and the activation of gates, doors, or other facilities used to secure an area, or the activation of control mechanisms, such as physical or electronic / software control mechanisms, to allow access to secure assets. A physical access control system (PACS) typically includes a reader (e.g., an online reader or an offline reader) that stores authorization data and can determine whether a credential (e.g., from a credential or key device such as a radio frequency identification (RFID) chip in a card, key fob, magnetic stripe card, or personal electronic device such as a mobile phone) is authorized for use with an actuator or control mechanism (e.g., a door lock, door opener, software control mechanism, shutdown alarm, etc.). Alternatively, the PACS can include a host server to which readers and actuators are connected (e.g., via a controller) in a centrally managed configuration. In a centrally managed configuration, the reader can obtain credentials from the credential or key device and pass these credentials to the PACS host server. The host server may then determine whether the credentials authorize access to the secure area or secure asset and command an actuator or other control mechanism accordingly, or the host server may command a reader to operate an actuator or other control mechanism accordingly.

[0025] Wireless PACS, such as those that utilize wireless communication between a reader and a credential or key device, can use RFID or personal area network (PAN) technology, such as IEEE 802.15.1, Bluetooth, Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE), Near Field Communication (NFC), ZigBee, GSM, CDMA, Wi-Fi, etc. Many of these technologies have some disadvantages for a seamless user experience. For example, the range of NFC is very short, so that credential exchange typically does not occur until the user is very close to a secure area or secure asset and attempts to gain access. The transmission of the credential to the reader and the response from the reader or host server can take several seconds, resulting in a frustrating user experience. In addition, the user must typically remove the device, for example from a pocket, and place it on or very close to the reader to begin the process.

[0026] On the other hand, BLE devices have a range of tens of meters (e.g., ten to twenty meters). Therefore, the credential exchange can be completed when the user approaches the reader. However, BLE, as well as many other PAN standards, do not provide accurate physical tracking of the device (e.g., ranging, positioning, etc.). Therefore, without some additional evidence of intent, it is difficult for the reader to determine whether the user actually intended to gain access to the secure area or secure asset. For example, there is a problem if the authorized user simply walks by the reader in the hall and the door is unlocked, or even opened. Evidence of intent can include events such as touching a door handle, making gestures with the key device, etc. However, this may be a less than ideal user experience than if the user simply walked up to the reader and gained access to the secure area without further action or interaction on the part of the user.

[0027] To help address one or more of these or other issues, positioning technology can be used (e.g., using secure UWB ranging) and can be combined with PAN discovery and key exchange. UWB's positioning technology can be more accurate than some traditional technologies and, for example, can be accurate to tens of centimeters. UWB positioning technology can provide both the range and direction of the credential or key device relative to the reader. When the reader is uncoordinated, this accuracy far exceeds the approximately ten-meter accuracy of BLE, for example. The precision of UWB's accuracy can be a useful tool for seamlessly determining user intent (e.g., whether the user is attempting to access a secure area or secure asset, or is simply passing by). For example, several zones can be defined, such as near the reader, at the reader, etc., to provide different contexts for understanding user intent. Additionally or alternatively, the accuracy of tracking helps provide an accurate model of the user's motion or the direction of the user's movement, from which intent can be discerned. Thus, the reader can classify user actions as, for example, likely approaching the reader or simply walking by.

[0028] Once the intent trigger occurs, the reader can act on the exchanged credentials, for example via PAN technology. For offline readers, i.e., readers not connected to a control panel or host server, the reader can directly control actuators or other control mechanisms (e.g., a lock on a disconnected door). In a centrally managed PACS, the (online) reader can forward the credentials to the control panel or host server for action.

[0029] Figure 1 and Figure 2 An example PACS 100 or portion thereof is shown. The PACS system 100 may include a reader device (or simply a reader) 102 associated with a secure area, access point, or other asset 104. In some cases, such as in Figure 1In the example shown in FIG, a secure asset 104 is a secure area protected by an access point 105, such as a door, gate, turnstile, or the like, which controls or allows authorized access to the secure area. A reader 102 may include or be operably connected to a control mechanism 106, such as a locking mechanism, which controls whether access to the access point 105 is permitted (e.g., whether it can be opened or accessed), or may even control the opening and / or closing of the access point. The reader 102 may be an offline reader, e.g., one not connected to a control panel or host server, and in such a case may make its own access control determinations and directly operate or command the control mechanism 106 accordingly. The reader 102 may be a wireless reader device, as the reader may communicate with a credential or key device via wireless technology, such as RFID or PAN technology, such as IEEE 802.15.1, Bluetooth, Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE), Near Field Communication (NFC), ZigBee, GSM, CDMA, Wi-Fi, and the like.

[0030] In some cases, the reader 102 may be connected to the control panel 108 via a wired or wireless connection. In this case, the reader 102 may transmit credential information to the control panel 108, and the control panel may make the access control determination, or may share responsibility with the reader in making the access control determination. Based on the access control determination, the control panel 108 may instruct the reader 102 to operate or command the control mechanism 106 accordingly. Alternatively, the control panel 108 may be connected directly or wirelessly to the control mechanism 106, and in this case may bypass the reader 102 and directly operate or command the control mechanism accordingly.

[0031] In some cases, the reader 102 and the control panel 108, and even the control mechanism 106, can be connected to a wired or wireless network 110 and communicate with each other via the network as described above. Example networks can include a local area network (LAN), a wide area network (WAN), a packet data network (e.g., the Internet), a mobile phone network (e.g., a cellular network), a plain old telephone network (POTS), a wireless data network (e.g., the IEEE 802.11 family of standards known as Wi-Fi, the IEEE 802.16 family of standards known as WiMax), the IEEE 802.15.4 family of standards, and a peer-to-peer (P2P) network. If the PACS 100 is managed by a remote system, the PACS can include a host server 112 connected to the network 110 by wired or wireless means and can communicate with the reader 102 and / or the control panel 108. In this case, the reader 102 can send credential information to the host server 112 via the network 110, or can send the credential information to the control panel 108, which can then send the credential information to the host server via the network. The host server 112 may make access control determinations or may share responsibility for making access control determinations with the reader 102 and / or the control panel 108. Based on the access control determinations, the host server 112 may instruct the reader 102, directly or indirectly via the control panel 108, to operate or command the control mechanism 106 accordingly. Alternatively, the host server 112 may instruct the control panel 108 to operate or command the control mechanism 106 accordingly. In yet another example, the host server 112 may connect to the control mechanism 106 via the network 110 and directly operate or command the control mechanism accordingly, bypassing the reader 102 and the control panel 108.

[0032] Figure 3 Schematic block diagram of various components of an example reader 102. Generally, the reader 102 may include one or more of a memory 302, a processor 304, one or more antennas 306, a communication module 308, a network interface device 310, a user interface 312, and a power supply or power supply 314.

[0033] Memory 302 may be used in conjunction with the execution of applications or instructions by processor 304 and for temporary or long-term storage of program instructions or instruction sets 316 and / or credential or authorization data 318, such as credential data, credential authorization data, or access control data or instructions. For example, memory 302 may contain executable instructions 316 used by processor 304 to operate other components of reader 102 and / or to make access determinations based on credential or authorization data 318. Memory 302 may include computer-readable media, which can be any medium that can contain, store, communicate, or transport data, program code, or instructions for use by or in connection with reader 102. Computer-readable media can be, for example, but not limited to, electronic, magnetic, optical, electromagnetic, infrared, or semiconductor systems, devices, or apparatuses. More specific examples of suitable computer-readable media include, but are not limited to, any solid-state storage device having one or more electrical connections or tangible storage media, such as a portable computer floppy disk, a hard disk, a random access memory (RAM), a read-only memory (ROM), an erasable programmable read-only memory (EPROM or flash memory), a dynamic RAM (DRAM), typically a compact disk read-only memory (CD-ROM), or other optical or magnetic storage devices. Computer-readable media includes, but should not be confused with, computer-readable storage media, which is intended to encompass all physical, non-transitory, or similar embodiments of computer-readable media.

[0034] The processor 304 may correspond to one or more computer processing devices or resources. For example, the processor 304 may be provided as silicon, as a field programmable gate array (FPGA), an application specific integrated circuit (ASIC), any other type of integrated circuit (IC) chip, a collection of IC chips, etc. As a more specific example, the processor 304 may be provided as a microprocessor, a central processing unit (CPU), or multiple microprocessors or CPUs configured to execute instruction sets stored in the internal memory 320 and / or the memory 302.

[0035] Antenna 306 may correspond to one or more antennas and may be configured to provide wireless communication between reader 102 and a credential or key device. Antenna 306 may be arranged to operate using one or more wireless communication protocols and operating frequencies, including but not limited to IEEE 802.15.1, Bluetooth, Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE), Near Field Communication (NFC), ZigBee, GSM, CDMA, Wi-Fi, RF, UWB, etc. By way of example, antenna 306 may be an RF antenna and, therefore, may be capable of transmitting / receiving RF signals through free space to be received / transmitted by a credential or key device having an RF transceiver. In some cases, at least one antenna 306 is an antenna designed or configured to transmit and / or receive UWB signals (referred to herein as a "UWB antenna" for simplicity), such that the reader may communicate using UWB technology.

[0036] The communication module 308 may be configured to communicate with one or more different systems or devices remote or local to the reader 102 , such as one or more control mechanisms 106 or control panel 108 , according to any suitable communication protocol.

[0037] The network interface device 310 includes hardware for facilitating communication with other devices, such as the control panel 108 or the host server 112, over a communication network, such as the network 110, using any of a number of transmission protocols, such as frame relay, Internet Protocol (IP), transmission control protocol (TCP), user datagram protocol (UDP), hypertext transfer protocol (HTTP), etc. Example communication networks may include a local area network (LAN), a wide area network (WAN), a packet data network (e.g., the Internet), a mobile telephone network (e.g., a cellular network), a plain old telephone (POTS) network, a wireless data network (e.g., the IEEE 802.11 family of standards known as Wi-Fi, the IEEE 802.16 family of standards known as WiMax), the IEEE 802.15.4 family of standards, and a peer-to-peer (P2P) network, etc. In some examples, the network interface device 310 may include an Ethernet port or other physical jack, a Wi-Fi card, a network interface card (NIC), a cellular interface (e.g., an antenna, filters, and associated circuitry), etc. In some examples, network interface device 310 may include multiple antennas to communicate wirelessly using at least one of single-input multiple-output (SIMO), multiple-input multiple-output (MIMO), or multiple-input single-output (MISO) technology.

[0038] The user interface 312 may include one or more input devices and / or display devices. Examples of suitable user input devices that may be included in the user interface 312 include, but are not limited to, one or more buttons, a keyboard, a mouse, a touch-sensitive surface, a stylus, a camera, a microphone, and the like. Examples of suitable user output devices that may be included in the user interface 312 include, but are not limited to, one or more LEDs, an LCD panel, a display screen, a touch screen, one or more lights, a speaker, and the like. It should be understood that the user interface 312 may also include a combined user input and user output device, such as a touch-sensitive display, and the like.

[0039] The power supply 314 may be any suitable internal power source, such as a battery, a capacitive power source, or a similar type of charge storage device, and / or may include one or more power conversion circuits suitable for converting external power to suitable power for the components of the reader 102 (e.g., converting externally supplied AC power to DC power). The power supply 314 may also include an implementation of some surge protection circuitry to protect the components of the reader 102 from power surges.

[0040] The reader 102 may also include one or more interconnects or buses 322 operable to route communications between the various hardware components of the reader. The system bus 322 may be any of several types of commercially available bus structures or bus architectures.

[0041] Figure 4A block diagram schematically illustrates various example components of an example machine 400 that can be used, for example, as control panel 108 and / or host server 112. As described herein, an example may include or be operated by logic or a number of components or mechanisms within machine 400. Generally, a circuit system (e.g., processing circuit system) is a collection of circuits implemented in a tangible physical form of machine 400 that includes hardware (e.g., simple circuits, gates, logic, etc.). Circuit system membership can be flexible over time. A circuit system includes members that can, when operated, perform specified operations individually or in combination. In some examples, the hardware of the circuit system can be immutably designed to perform a specific operation (e.g., hard-wired). In some examples, the hardware of the circuit system can include variably connected physical components (e.g., execution units, transistors, simple circuits, etc.) to encode instructions for a specific operation, wherein the variably connected physical components include machine-readable media that can be physically modified (e.g., magnetically, electrically, by movable placement of immutable aggregate particles, etc.). When physical components are connected, the underlying electrical properties of the hardware components are changed, for example, from an insulator to a conductor, or vice versa from a conductor to an insulator. Instructions enable embedded hardware (e.g., an execution unit or a loading mechanism) to create a member of a circuit system in hardware via a variable connection to perform a portion of a specific operation when in operation. Thus, in some examples, the machine-readable medium element is part of the circuit system or is communicatively coupled to other components of the circuit system when the device is in operation. In some examples, any of the physical components can be used in more than one member of more than one circuit system. For example, under operation, an execution unit can be used in a first circuit in a first circuit system at one point in time and reused by a second circuit in the first circuit system or by a third circuit in the second circuit system at a different time. The following are additional and / or more specific examples of components of machine 400.

[0042] In some embodiments, machine 400 can be operated as an independent device or can be connected (e.g., networked) to other machines. In a networked deployment, machine 400 can operate with the capabilities of a server machine, a client machine, or both in a server-client network environment. In some examples, machine 400 can serve as a peer-to-peer (P2P) (or other distributed) network environment. Machine 400 can be a personal computer (PC), tablet PC, set-top box (STB), personal digital assistant (PDA), mobile phone, network application, network router, switch or bridge, or any machine capable of (sequentially or otherwise) executing the instruction specifying the action to be taken by the machine, or including a personal computer (PC), tablet PC, set-top box (STB), personal digital assistant (PDA), mobile phone, network application, network router, switch or bridge, or any machine capable of (sequentially or otherwise) executing the instruction specifying the action to be taken by the machine. Further, while a single machine is illustrated, the term "machine" shall also be taken to include any collection of machines that individually or jointly execute a set (or multiple sets) of instructions to perform any one or more of the methodologies discussed herein, such as cloud computing, Software as a Service (SaaS), or other computer cluster configurations.

[0043] The machine (e.g., a computer system) 400 may include a hardware processor 402 (e.g., a central processing unit (CPU), a graphics processing unit (GPU), a hardware processor core, or any combination thereof) and main memory 404, static memory (e.g., memory or storage for firmware, microcode, basic input and output (BIOS), unified extensible firmware interface (UEFI), etc.) 406, and / or mass storage 408 (e.g., a hard drive, tape drive, flash memory, or other block device), some or all of which may communicate with each other via an interconnect (e.g., a bus) 430. The machine 400 may also include a display 410 and an input 412 and / or a user interface (UI) navigation device 414. Example input devices and UI navigation devices include, but are not limited to, one or more buttons, a keyboard, a touch-sensitive surface, a stylus, a camera, a microphone, etc. In some examples, one or more of the display 410, input 412, and UI navigation device 414 may be a combined unit, such as a touch screen display. The machine 400 may additionally include a signal generating device 418 (e.g., a speaker), a network interface device 420, and one or more sensors 416, such as a global positioning system (GPS) sensor, a compass, an accelerometer, or other sensors. The machine 400 may include an output controller 428, such as a serial (e.g., universal serial bus (USB), parallel, or other wired or wireless (e.g., infrared (IR), NFC, etc.) connection to communicate with or control one or more peripheral devices (e.g., a printer, a card reader, etc.).

[0044] The processor 402 may correspond to one or more computer processing devices or resources. For example, the processor 402 may be provided as silicon, as a field programmable gate array (FPGA), as an application specific integrated circuit (ASIC), as any other type of integrated circuit (IC) chip, as a collection of IC chips, etc. As a more specific example, the processor 402 may be provided as a microprocessor, a central processing unit (CPU), or as multiple microprocessors or CPUs configured to execute instruction sets stored in the internal memory 422 and / or the memories 404, 406, 408.

[0045] Any of memories 404, 406, and 408 can be used in conjunction with the execution of application programs or instructions by processor 402 and for temporary or long-term storage of program instructions or instruction sets 424 and / or other data. Any of memories 404, 406, and 408 can include computer-readable media, which can be any medium that can contain, store, communicate, or transport data, program code, or instructions 424 used by or in conjunction with machine 400. Computer-readable media can be, for example, but not limited to, electronic, magnetic, optical, electromagnetic, infrared, or semiconductor systems, devices, or apparatuses. More specific examples of suitable computer-readable media include, but are not limited to, electrical connections or tangible storage media having one or more wires, such as a portable computer floppy disk, hard disk, random access memory (RAM), read-only memory (ROM), erasable programmable read-only memory (EPROM or flash memory), dynamic RAM (DRAM), solid-state storage devices, typically compact disk read-only memory (CD-ROM), or other optical or magnetic storage devices. As mentioned above, computer-readable media includes but should not be confused with computer-readable storage media, which is intended to encompass all physical, non-transitory, or similar embodiments of computer-readable media.

[0046] The network interface device 420 includes hardware for facilitating communication with other devices over a communication network, such as the network 110, using any of a number of transmission protocols (e.g., Frame Relay, Internet Protocol (IP), Transmission Control Protocol (TCP), User Datagram Protocol (UDP), Hypertext Transfer Protocol (HTTP), etc.). Example communication networks may include a local area network (LAN), a wide area network (WAN), a packet data network (e.g., the Internet), a mobile phone network (e.g., a cellular network), a plain old telephone (POTS) network, a wireless data network (e.g., the IEEE 802.11 family of standards known as Wi-Fi, the IEEE 802.16 family of standards known as WiMax), the IEEE 802.15.4 family of standards, and a peer-to-peer (P2P) network. In some examples, the network interface device 420 may include an Ethernet port or other physical jack, a Wi-Fi card, a network interface card (NIC), a cellular interface (e.g., an antenna, filters, and associated circuitry), etc. In some examples, network interface device 420 may include multiple antennas to communicate wirelessly using at least one of single-input multiple-output (SIMO), multiple-input multiple-output (MIMO), or multiple-input single-output (MISO) technology.

[0047] As indicated above, the machine 400 may include one or more interconnects or buses 430 operable to route communications between the various hardware components of the machine.The system bus 322 may be any of several types of commercially available bus structures or bus architectures.

[0048] Return to reference Figure 1 and Figure 2 In use, when a user with a credential or key device 114 approaches a reader 102 associated with an access point 105, the credential device 114 may transmit the user's credentials or credential data to the reader, for example, via suitable RFID or PAN technology. Generally, a credential device is a device that carries evidence of the authorization, status, rights, and / or privileges of the holder of the credential device. The credential device may be a portable device having a memory 116 storing one or more user credentials or credential data and a reader interface (i.e., an antenna and an integrated circuit (IC) chip) 118 that enables the credential to exchange data with a reader device, such as reader 102, via the reader device's credential interface, such as antenna 306. An example of a credential device 114 is an RFID smart card having data stored thereon that allows the holder of the credential device to access a secure area or secure asset, such as secure area 104, protected by reader 102. Other examples of credential devices include, but are not limited to, proximity RFID-based cards, access control cards, credit cards, debit cards, passports, identification cards, key fobs, NFC-enabled devices, mobile phones, personal digital assistants (PDAs), tags, or any other device that can be configured to emulate a virtual credential.

[0049] If reader 102, control panel 108, and / or host server 112 determines that the user credentials or credential data provided by credential device 114 are valid and / or authorized, reader 102, control panel 108, or host server 112 may operate control mechanism 106 to allow access to secure area 104 by the user with the credential device. In some cases, control mechanism 106 may even be operated to open and / or close access point 105 (e.g., door, gate, etc.) for the user.

[0050] However, simply possessing an authorization credential or simply passing the authorization credential to a reader does not necessarily indicate the user with the authorization credential's intent to access the secure area or secure asset. For example, a user may simply walk past the reader without any intent to access the secure area or secure asset. If the authorization credential is passed from the user's credential device to the reader and the secure asset is, for example, unlocked or opened, an unauthorized user may unintentionally gain access to the secure area or secure asset.

[0051] Therefore, it may be desirable to determine whether the user of an authorized credential appears to have or otherwise demonstrates intent to access a secure area or asset before authorizing the credential or before unlocking, opening, or otherwise allowing access to a secure asset or area. Evidence of intent may include events such as touching a door handle, gesturing with a key fob, and the like. However, these events require action or interaction by the credential user and may result in a less-than-ideal user experience. However, the use of UWB positioning technology can provide a more seamless user experience, where user intent can be determined or inferred based on the credential device's position, orientation, and / or angle of incidence or arrival. As indicated above, UWB positioning technology can be highly accurate and can provide both the range and orientation of a credential or key fob relative to a reader. Therefore, in some cases, both reader 102 and credential device 114 may include antennas designed or configured to transmit and / or receive UWB signals (again, referred to herein for simplicity as "UWB antennas"), enabling the reader and credential device to communicate using UWB technology. Specifically, at least one of the antennas 306 of the reader 102 may be a UWB antenna. Likewise, the reader interface 118 of the credential device 114 may also include a UWB antenna.

[0052] In addition to the location or distance of the credential device from the reader, one desirable aspect of a credential device that can be used to determine user intent in a PACS involving access points (e.g., doors, gates, turnstiles, etc.) to control access to a secure area such as secure area 104 can be the angle of incidence or arrival (AoA) of the credential device relative to the reader. In addition to determining the AoA of the credential device, it can also be helpful to understand or determine whether the user of the credential device is outside or already inside the secure area. In some cases, a user outside the secure area that is within range of the reader (and possibly moving toward the reader) can be considered to have intent to enter the secure area, whereas a user that is inside the secure area and within range of the reader (and possibly moving toward the reader) can be ignored or otherwise considered to lack intent because they are already within the secure area.

[0053] Figure 5 1 is a block diagram of an example reader 502 configured to determine the AoA of a credential device and also to determine whether the credential device is outside or inside the secure area 104, or simply outside the secure area 104. The reader 502 may include one or more printed circuit boards (PCBs) 504 or other electronic circuitry (referred to as "PCBs 504") that include information about the credential device. Figure 3Some or all of the components described. The PCB 504 may also include additional components as needed or desired. As part of the one or more antennas 306 described above, the reader 502 may include two UWB antennas 506, 508. The antenna design of the UWB antennas 506, 508 may have any suitable known or yet to be discovered shape or design suitable for UWB communication. The UWB antennas 506, 508 may be attached to opposite sides of a PCB or other hardware component 510 (referred to as "PCB 510") and electrically connected to the PCB or other hardware component 510. The PCB 510 and / or the UWB antenna 506 may be operably coupled to one or more components of the PCB 504 and / or electrically coupled to one or more components of the PCB 504. Although shown as being on separate PCBs, in some cases, the antennas 506, 508 may be attached to opposite sides of the PCB 504 and electrically connected to the PCB 504.

[0054] The UWB antennas 506, 508 can be spaced apart by a distance d2 along an antenna axis 512. In some cases, the UWB antennas 506, 508 spaced apart or arranged along the antenna axis 512 can include an axis passing through a central region or centroid of each of the UWB antennas. In some cases, the UWB antennas 506, 508 spaced apart or arranged along the antenna axis 512 can include an axis passing through a non-central region of the UWB antennas or a combination of a central region of one UWB antenna and a non-central region of the other UWB antenna.

[0055] PCB 510 (or PCB 504, as the case may be) can accordingly have a thickness of d2. However, in other examples, the distance d2 between the UWB antennas 506, 508 can be greater than the thickness of PCB 510 (or PCB 504, as the case may be), for example, by using additional spacers or spacing materials. In some cases, PCB 510 (or PCB 504, as the case may be) can be sized and / or configured to substantially occupy the entire area or space between the UWB antennas 506, 508, or more, such as Figure 5In other cases, PCB 510 (or PCB 504 as the case may be) can be sized and / or configured to occupy only a portion of the area or space between UWB antennas 506, 508, such as, but not limited to, at least 25%, at least 50%, at least 75%, or at least 90% of the area or space between the UWB antennas. Stated another way, PCB 510 (or PCB 504 as the case may be) can be sized and / or configured to occupy less than all of the area or space between UWB antennas 506, 508, such as, but not limited to, less than 99%, less than 90%, less than 75%, or less than 60% of the area or space between the UWB antennas. In some cases, PCB 510 (or PCB 504 as the case may be) may be sized and / or configured to occupy an amount of the area or space between the UWB antennas 506, 508 that may be determined to be a more preferred result or to provide a predictable, more preferred, or suitable result for a given application, such as, but not limited to, approximately 35% to approximately 99%, approximately 40% to approximately 95%, approximately 50% to approximately 95%, approximately 75% to approximately 95%, or approximately 75% to approximately 90% of the area or space between the UWB antennas.

[0056] In some cases, PCB 510 (or PCB 504 as the case may be) or one or more portions thereof between UWB antennas 506, 508 may include one or more material types, including a substantially homogeneous material that is substantially uniformly disposed between the antennas, a composite material that varies in one or more properties along or perpendicular to the antenna axis 512, or layers of multiple materials or a series of multiple materials, such as a core or core layer with one or more additional layers of the same or different materials.

[0057] Reader 502 includes a housing 514 having a depth d1. As can be appreciated, distance d2 can have a direct impact on the depth d1 of reader housing 514. That is, generally, the greater the distance d2, the deeper the depth d1 will likely have to be.

[0058] The reader 502 can be mounted to a fixed structure, such as a wall 516 (or other boundary that can define a secure area) near or including the access point 105. The reader 502 can include or define a mounting plane 518 that is configured for mounting the reader flat against the wall 516. In some cases, the mounting plane 518 can be coplanar with or spaced apart from the wall 516. The wall 516 can have a wall axis 516 that is at least for a distance. The UWB antennas 506, 508 can be configured within the reader 502 such that the antenna axis 512 is generally out of plane (e.g., at a non-zero or non-parallel angle) relative to the mounting plane 518 and / or the wall axis 516. In some cases, the UWB antennas 506, 508 can be configured within the reader 502 such that the antenna axis 512 is substantially perpendicular to the mounting plane 518 and / or the reader 502 can be mounted to the wall 516 such that the antenna axis 512 is substantially perpendicular to the wall axis 516. However, in other cases, as may be desired, the UWB antennas 506, 508 can be aligned within the reader 502 and / or the reader 502 can be mounted to the wall 516 such that the antenna axis 512 is arranged at another angle relative to the mounting plane 518 and / or the wall axis 516, such as between 25° and 155° relative to the mounting plane or the wall axis, between 45° and 135° relative to the mounting plane or the wall axis, or between 60° and 120° relative to the mounting plane or the wall axis. Other suitable non-parallel angles may also be used, as desired.

[0059] Reference Figure 6, the UWB antennas 506, 508 can be used to determine the AoA of the credential device 114. Specifically, a UWB signal or communication packet 602 can be transmitted from the credential device 114a outside the secure area 104 and received by the UWB antennas 506, 508. Based on the phase difference between the signals received at the UWB antenna 506 and the UWB antenna 508, the angle of incidence or arrival (AoA) of the credential device 114 about the antenna axis 512 can be determined. The AoA can be used to determine the intent of the user of the credential device. In addition to the AoA, due to the configuration of the UWB antennas 506, 508 described above, and based on the time difference between when the UWB antenna 506 receives the signal 602 and when the UWB antenna 508 receives the signal 602, it can be determined whether the credential device 114 is outside or inside the secure area 104. Specifically, if UWB antenna 506 receives signal 602 before UWB antenna 508, then it can be determined that a credential device, such as credential device 114a, is closer to UWB antenna 506 than to UWB antenna 508, and is therefore on the side of reader 510 that is outside of secure area 104. Conversely, a signal or communication packet 604 from credential device 114b will be received by UWB antenna 508 before being received by UWB antenna 506. Therefore, it can be determined that credential device 114b is closer to UWB antenna 508 than to UWB antenna 506, and is therefore on the side of reader 510 that is inside of secure area 104. As indicated above, whether a user is outside or inside a secure area can be useful in understanding or determining the user's intent to access a secure area. For example, a user who is within range of the reader and outside the secure area (and possibly moving toward the reader) may be considered to have intent to enter the secure area, whereas a user who is inside the secure area and within range of the reader (and possibly moving toward the reader) may be ignored or otherwise considered to lack intent because they are already within the secure area.

[0060] Still refer to Figure 6 Because antenna axis 512 is generally perpendicular to wall axis 516 (and / or reader mounting plane 518) (or at some other non-parallel angle to wall axis 516 (and / or reader mounting plane 518)), in some cases, the signal from credential device 114c may produce the same distance, AoA, and exterior / interior determinations as credential device 114a. More generally, credential device distance and AoA determinations made in Region 2 may generally mirror those in Region 1. Figure 6The designations Zone 1 and Zone 2 are provided in the text for ease of discussion only and are not intended to define or limit any reader range or functional separation of reader zones. However, due to the configuration of UWB antennas 506 and 508, the outside / inside determination continues to distinguish between devices outside or inside secure zone 104. That is, despite having the same range and AoA determination as credential device 114a, credential device 114c accurately determines that it is outside secure zone 104. Therefore, for the reasons already described, the outside / inside determination remains additionally beneficial in understanding or determining user intent. However, if such additional positioning is desired or required, one or more additional antennas can be added to reader 502 to distinguish between credential devices 114a and 114c. Additionally or alternatively, a heuristic algorithm can be used to determine the likelihood that a credential device is credential device 114a or 114c. Additionally or alternatively, a companion reader, beacon device, or other unit can be used in combination with reader 502 to provide additional positioning information.

[0061] However, an underlying consideration for the aforementioned configuration of the UWB antennas 506, 508 is that in order to obtain generally sufficient resolution for AoA and / or exterior / interior determination, the UWB antennas 506, 508 should be spaced apart along the antenna axis 512 by a distance d2 that is generally at least as great as half the wavelength (λ) of the signal (i.e., λ / 2). The wavelength is the velocity of a wave in a medium (v) divided by the frequency (f) of the wave, or λ=v / f. Assuming that the medium comprising the space between the UWB antennas 506, 508 is air or a material having a dielectric constant similar to that of air, at frequencies expected for PACS, the distance d2 will likely be tens of millimeters (mm) or more. For example, at frequencies between approximately 6.3 GHz and 8 GHz, the air distance d2 will generally fall between approximately 18 mm and 24 mm. For simplicity of discussion herein, the wavelength of a signal or electromagnetic wave passing through air or a material having a dielectric constant similar to that of air will be referred to as the "air wavelength" or "λ." AAs indicated above, distance d2 can have a direct impact on the depth d1 of the reader housing 514. For example, at frequencies such as between about 6.3 GHz and 8 GHz, in a reader in which the antenna axis 512 is generally perpendicular to the wall axis 516, the depth d1 will be greater than the distance d2 and may be greater than at least 19 mm or 20 mm. Other reader housing sizes may be smaller than this, and it may be desirable to have an even smaller depth d1 for next-generation readers, since relatively large reader housings occupy more real estate on a wall or other mounting surface, may cost more to manufacture (particularly in material cost), may be more complex to install, may be more obtrusive, and generally be less aesthetically pleasing. Although, as described above, the antenna axis 512 can be aligned at some other non-parallel angle to the wall axis 516, which can (although not necessarily) help reduce the depth d1 of the reader housing 514, such an alignment may increase the cost of the reader, increase the complexity of, for example, the exterior / interior determination, and reduce the benefits of, for example, the exterior / interior determination.

[0062] Therefore, in order to reduce the distance d2 between the UWB antennas 506, 508 while maintaining sufficient resolution for AoA (and / or external / internal determination), the PCB 510 (or PCB 504, as the case may be) may include a material or combination of materials having a dielectric constant (or multiple dielectric constants) selected to slow down and reduce the wavelength of electromagnetic waves or fields passing therethrough, or a material or combination of materials that is otherwise selected, designed, or configured to slow down and reduce the wavelength of electromagnetic waves or fields passing therethrough. For example, the PCB 510 (or PCB 504, as the case may be) may include a material or combination of materials having a dielectric constant (or multiple dielectric constants) selected to slow down and reduce the wavelength of electromagnetic waves or fields passing therethrough, or a material or combination of materials that is otherwise selected, designed, or configured to slow down and reduce the wavelength of electromagnetic waves or fields passing therethrough, having a thickness d2, such that even though the thickness d2 is less than λ, the PCB 510 may have a thickness d2. A / 2 (for example, if the electromagnetic wave passes through air or a material with a dielectric constant similar to air), but the PCB thickness provides at least λ A / 2, or simulates, emulates, resembles, represents, corresponds to, or is substantially equivalent to at least λ A / 2 of the separation distance of the UWB antennas. Stated differently, for a given AoA resolution, which can be achieved with air or a material having a dielectric constant similar to air between the UWB antennas 506, 508 spaced apart from each other by a separation distance SD, the PCB 510 (or PCB 504 as the case may be) can include a material or combination of materials having a dielectric constant (or multiple dielectric constants) selected to be sufficient to slow down electromagnetic waves and reduce the wavelength of electromagnetic waves, or a material or combination of materials that is otherwise selected, designed, or configured to be sufficient to slow down electromagnetic waves and reduce the wavelength of electromagnetic waves, such that the thickness d2 is less than the separation distance SD, and at least substantially the same AoA resolution can be achieved or maintained. The material or combination of materials selected, designed, or configured to slow down electromagnetic waves or fields can specify that the thickness d2 can be from λ A / 2. In some cases, the thickness d2 can be reduced from λ A / 2 can be reduced by 50% or more. For example, PCB 510 (or PCB 504 as the case may be) can include FR4 or other dielectric PCB materials. FR4 can, for example, slow down electromagnetic waves by a factor of slightly more than two, and thus, for example, at an air separation distance d2 between UWB antennas 506, 508 of approximately 17 mm, the AoA resolution can be similarly achieved at a distance d2 between UWB antennas 506, 508 on an FR4 PCB that is less than 8 mm and closer to 6 mm.

[0063] Figure 7 A block diagram schematic diagram of another possible configuration of UWB antennas 506, 508 and a material or material combination 702 having a dielectric constant (or dielectric constants) selected to slow down and reduce the wavelength of electromagnetic waves or fields passing therethrough, or a material or material combination that is otherwise selected, designed, or configured to slow down and reduce the wavelength of electromagnetic waves or fields passing therethrough is shown. Figure 7In the configuration, UWB antennas 506 and 508 are not on opposite sides of a PCB, but are instead mounted on the same side of a PCB or other hardware component 704 (referred to as "PCB 704"). Specifically, UWB antenna 508 can be attached to PCB 704, a material 702 having a thickness d2 can be placed, stacked, and / or secured on UWB antenna 508, and UWB antenna 506 can be placed, stacked, and / or secured on material 702. The width w1 of material 702 can be any suitable width, as desired or needed to achieve the desired effect. Additionally, while shown as a layer or thickness of material, material 702 can take any suitable shape or form, including any regular shape (e.g., a cube, rectangular prism, triangular prism, disk, etc.) or irregular shape. Furthermore, material 702 can have a constant thickness d2 along width w1, or can have a variable thickness along its width w1 or any other axis. Furthermore, the material 702 can be configured to surround or partially surround the UWB antenna 506 and / or the UWB antenna 508 (eg, in one example, Figure 7 ), and is not limited to a layer of constant thickness strictly positioned between the UWB antennas 506, 508.

[0064] Furthermore, in some cases, the material 702 may be sized and / or configured to occupy substantially the entire area or space between the UWB antennas 506, 508, or more, such as Figure 7 In other cases, material 702 may be sized and / or configured to occupy only a portion of the area or space between UWB antennas 506, 508, such as, but not limited to, at least 25%, at least 50%, at least 75%, or at least 90% of the area or space between the UWB antennas. Stated another way, material 702 may be sized and / or configured to occupy less than all of the area or space between UWB antennas 506, 508, such as, but not limited to, less than 99%, less than 90%, less than 75%, or less than 60% of the area or space between the UWB antennas. In some cases, the material 702 may be sized and / or configured to occupy the area or space between the UWB antennas 506, 508 in an amount that may be determined to be a more preferred result or to provide a predictable, more preferred, or suitable result for a given application, such as, but not limited to, approximately 35% to approximately 99%, approximately 40% to approximately 95%, approximately 50% to approximately 95%, approximately 75% to approximately 95%, or approximately 75% to approximately 90% of the area or space between the UWB antennas.

[0065] In some cases, the material 702 or one or more portions thereof between the UWB antennas 506, 508 may include one or more material types, including a substantially homogeneous material that is substantially uniformly disposed between the antennas, a composite material that varies in one or more properties along or perpendicular to the antenna axis 512, or a layer or series of multiple materials, such as a core or substrate, or a core or substrate layer, with one or more additional layers of the same or different materials.

[0066] In some cases, Figures 5 to 7 Combinations of the example configurations shown in may be utilized. Specifically, both the PCB and the material(s) 702 (which may include another PCB or PCB material) may be positioned at least partially between the UWB antennas 506 , 508 .

[0067] Figure 8 A method 800 is shown for controlling or allowing authorized access to a secure area in a PACS that includes access points, such as doors, gates, turnstiles, etc., for determining a user's intent to access the secure area and granting / denying access. At step 802, a reader of the PACS may receive a UWB signal from a credential device having a UWB antenna, such as described herein. The reader may have any of the example configurations described above. Thus, at step 802, the reader receives signals from the credential at (at least) two UWB antennas. At step 804, the reader and / or controller and / or host server of the PACS may determine positioning data related to the credential device, such as distance and AoA. Additionally, at step 806, based on the configuration of the (at least) two UWB antennas and the time at which the signal was received at each of the (at least) two UWB antennas, the reader, controller, and / or host server of the PACS may determine whether the credential device is outside or inside the secure area. At step 808, based on one or more of the positioning data and the external / internal determination, the reader, controller, and / or host server of the PACS may determine whether a user has or is demonstrating an intent to access a secure area. At step 812, which may alternatively occur before or concurrently with step 802, or at Figure 8At any other time between steps 802 and 812 in the flowchart of FIG. , the reader of the PACS may receive a credential or credential information from the credential device. At step 814, which may occur at any time after the reader receives the credential information, the reader, controller, and / or host server of the PACS may verify the credential information. In one example, the reader, controller, and / or host server of the PACS may wait to verify the credential information until after it has determined that the user has or is demonstrating intent to access the secure area. In other cases, the reader, controller, and / or host server of the PACS may verify the credential information before or concurrently with determining that the user has or is demonstrating intent to access the secure area. At step 814, if the credential information is valid and it has been determined that the user has or is demonstrating intent to access the secure area, the reader, controller, and / or host server of the PACS may allow the user of the credential device access to the secure area.

[0068] Although described with respect to PACS, the configuration of the UWB antennas 506, 508 in any of the foregoing embodiments and in a manner similar to or different from that described with respect to Figure 8 The methods of using the UWB antennas 506, 508 in the manner described may also be used in systems other than PACS. Additionally or alternatively, although described specifically with respect to the UWB antennas 506, 508, other types of suitable antennas, sensors with time-of-flight (TOF) capabilities, etc. may be used in addition to or as an alternative to the UWB antennas 506 and / or UWB antennas 508 and methods of using the UWB antennas 506 and / or UWB antennas 508 in any of the aforementioned embodiments, as may be desired.

[0069] Additional Notes

[0070] The above detailed description includes reference to the accompanying drawings, which form a part of the detailed description. The accompanying drawings show specific embodiments that can be put into practice by way of illustration. These embodiments may also be referred to as "examples" in this article. Such embodiments or examples may include elements other than those shown or described. However, the inventors have also considered examples in which only those elements shown or described are provided. In addition, the inventors have also considered examples of any combination or permutation of those elements (or one or more aspects of those elements) shown or described with respect to a specific example (or one or more aspects of a specific example) or with respect to other examples (or one or more aspects of other examples) shown or described in this article. That is, the above embodiments or examples or one or more aspects, features or elements thereof may be used in combination with each other.

[0071] In this document, as is common in patent documents, the terms "a" or "an" are used to include one or more than one, without relying on any other instance or usage of "at least one" or "one or more." In this document, unless otherwise indicated, the term "or" is used to refer to a non-exclusive or, such that "A or B" includes "A but not B," "B but not A," and "A and B." In the following claims, the terms "first," "second," and "third," etc. are used merely as labels and are not intended to impose numerical requirements on their objects.

[0072] Furthermore, unless otherwise specified, as used herein, the phrase “at least one of [X] and [Y]” or “at least one of [X] or [Y]” means that the embodiment may include component [X] but not component [Y], the embodiment may include component [Y] but not component [X], or the embodiment may include both component [X] and component [Y], where [X] and [Y] are different components that may be included in embodiments of the present disclosure. Similarly, when used with respect to three or more components, such as “at least one of [X], [Y], and [Z]” or “at least one of [X], [Y], or [Z],” these phrases mean that the embodiment may include any one of the three or more components, any combination or subcombination of any one of the components, or all of the components.

[0073] As used herein, the term "substantially" or "generally" refers to the complete or almost complete extent or degree of an action, characteristic, property, state, structure, item or result. For example, an object that is "substantially" or "generally" enclosed means that the object is completely enclosed or almost completely enclosed. In some cases, the exact permissible degree of deviation from absolute completeness can depend on the specific context. However, generally speaking, close to completion will have roughly the same overall result, just as absolute and complete completion is obtained. When used in a negative sense, the use of "substantially" or "generally" is equally applicable to refer to the complete or almost complete lack of a certain action, characteristic, property, state, structure, item or result. For example, an element, combination, embodiment or composition that is "substantially free of" or "generally free of" an element can actually still include such an element as long as the element does not have a significant impact in general.

[0074] To assist the Patent Office and any reader of any patent issuing based on this application in interpreting the appended claims, Applicant wishes to point out that unless the words "means for" or "step for" are expressly used in a particular claim, Applicant does not intend that any of the appended claims or claim elements invoke 35 U.S.C. 112 §(f).

[0075] In the foregoing description, various embodiments of the present disclosure have been presented for the purposes of illustration and description. They are not intended to be exhaustive or to limit the invention to the precise forms disclosed. In view of the above teachings, obvious modifications or variations are possible. Various embodiments have been selected and described to provide the best illustration of the principles of the present disclosure and its practical application, and to enable those skilled in the art to utilize the various embodiments to make various modifications to suit the intended specific use. When interpreted in accordance with the scope of the appended claims to which they are fairly, legally and equitably entitled, all such modifications and variations are within the scope of the present disclosure as determined by the appended claims.

Claims

1. A reader, comprising: a mounting surface configured for mounting the reader to a surface; a first antenna configured to receive an ultra-wideband (UWB) signal; as well as a second antenna configured to receive the UWB signal, the first antenna and the second antenna being arranged along an axis substantially perpendicular to the mounting plane; and a material disposed between the first antenna and the second antenna; The distance between the first antenna and the second antenna along the axis is less than half the wavelength (λ) of the UWB signal passing through the air. A / 2); and wherein the material is configured to slow down electromagnetic waves passing therethrough so that the effective separation distance between the first antenna and the second antenna along the axis is at least half the wavelength (λ) of the UWB signal passing through air. A / 2).

2. The reader according to claim 1, wherein The first antenna and the second antenna are mounted on the same side of a printed circuit board (PCB).

3. The reader according to claim 1, wherein The material includes a printed circuit board (PCB).

4. The reader according to claim 1, wherein The material includes various material types.

5. The reader according to claim 1, wherein The material comprises a composite of materials that varies in one or more properties along or perpendicular to the axis.

6. The reader according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein: The axis passes through a center of mass of each of the first antenna and the second antenna.

7. The reader according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein: The thickness of the material defines the distance between the first antenna and the second antenna along the axis.

8. An ultra-wideband (UWB) antenna configuration, comprising: a first antenna configured to receive UWB signals; a second antenna configured to receive the UWB signal; as well as A material disposed between the first antenna and the second antenna, the material having a distance between the first antenna and the second antenna that is less than a half wavelength (λ) of the UWB signal passing through air A / 2) thickness, the material being configured to slow down electromagnetic waves passing therethrough, such that the thickness of the material provides at least half the wavelength (λ) of the UWB signal passing through air. A / 2).

9. The UWB antenna arrangement according to claim 8, wherein: The first antenna and the second antenna are aligned along an axis that is substantially perpendicular to a surface to which the UWB antenna configuration is to be mounted.

10. The UWB antenna configuration of claim 8, wherein: The first antenna and the second antenna are aligned along an axis that is at an angle between 25° and 155° relative to a surface to which the UWB antenna configuration is to be mounted.

11. The UWB antenna arrangement according to any one of claims 9 or 10, wherein: The axis passes through a center of mass of at least one of the first antenna and the second antenna.

12. The UWB antenna arrangement according to claim 11, wherein: The axis passes through a center of mass of each of the first antenna and the second antenna.

13. A method for determining a user's intent to access a secure area protected using a secure access point, the method comprising: A UWB signal from a credential device is received at each of a first ultra-wideband (UWB) antenna and a second UWB antenna, wherein a distance between the first UWB antenna and the second UWB antenna is less than half a wavelength (λ) of the UWB signal through air. A / 2), and wherein a material disposed between the first UWB antenna and the second UWB antenna is configured to slow down electromagnetic waves passing therethrough, such that the effective separation distance between the first UWB antenna and the second UWB antenna is at least half a wavelength (λ) of the UWB signal passing through air. A / 2); determining positioning data associated with the credential device based on the UWB signal; determining whether the credential device is outside or inside the secure area based on a time at which the UWB signal is received at each of the first UWB antenna and the second UWB antenna; and Based on the positioning data and a determination of whether the credential device is outside or inside the secure area, a determination is made as to whether the user appears to have indicated an intent to access the secure area.

14. The method according to claim 13, further comprising: receiving credential information from the credential device; Verifying the credential information; as well as Access to the secure area is permitted by the user of the credential device if the credential information is valid and it has been determined that the user appears to have indicated an intent to access the secure area.

15. The method according to claim 14, wherein The step of verifying the credential information is completed after it has been determined that the user appears to have indicated an intent to access the secure area.

16. The method according to claim 14, wherein The step of verifying the credential information is completed before or simultaneously with determining that the user appears to have indicated an intent to access the secure area.

17. A method for determining a user's intention to access a secure area, the method comprising: Receiving a UWB signal from a credential device at each of a first UWB antenna and a second UWB antenna in an ultra-wideband (UWB) antenna configuration, the UWB antenna configuration comprising: First antenna, a second antenna, and A material disposed between the first antenna and the second antenna, the material having a distance between the first antenna and the second antenna that is less than a half wavelength (λ) of the UWB signal passing through air A / 2) thickness, the material being configured to slow down electromagnetic waves passing therethrough, such that the thickness of the material provides at least half the wavelength (λ) of the UWB signal passing through air. A / 2) of the effective separation distance between the first antenna and the second antenna; and Positioning data associated with the credential device is determined based on the UWB signal.

18. The method according to claim 17, further comprising: A determination is made based on the positioning data whether a user of the credential device appears to have indicated an intent to access the secure area.

19. The method according to claim 18, further comprising: receiving credential information from the credential device; Verifying the credential information; as well as Access to the secure area is permitted by the user of the credential device if the credential information is valid and it has been determined that the user appears to have indicated an intent to access the secure area.

20. The method according to claim 19, wherein The step of verifying the credential information is completed after it has been determined that the user appears to have indicated an intent to access the secure area.

21. The method according to claim 19, wherein The step of verifying the credential information is completed before or simultaneously with determining that the user appears to have indicated an intent to access the secure area.

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