Unlocking record calibration method and system of off-line electronic door lock, computer readable storage medium and related equipment

Abstract

The invention discloses an unlocking record calibration method and system of an offline electronic door lock, a computer readable storage medium and related equipment. The method comprises the following steps: acquiring authorized user information containing a user identifier and a corresponding authorization time period; acquiring an unlocking log which is stored in the off-line electronic door lock and comprises an original unlocking timestamp; on the basis of a preset time calibration algorithm, calibrating the original unlocking timestamp to generate real unlocking time; and comparing the real unlocking time with the authorized time period to determine a user identifier corresponding to the real unlocking time or verify the validity of the unlocking operation in the real time. According to the method, the real occurrence time of the unlocking event is accurately restored by correcting the inaccurate original unlocking timestamp afterwards, and the accuracy, traceability and fault diagnosis capability of the unlocking record are remarkably improved.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to the field of electronic lock data processing technology, and in particular to an offline electronic door lock unlocking record calibration method, system, computer-readable storage medium, and related equipment. Background Technology

[0002] In scenarios requiring timely management of personnel access, such as hotels, long-term rental apartments, and shared offices, electronic door locks have become standard equipment. Among them, offline electronic door locks have gained widespread application due to their advantages such as low deployment cost, no need for complex network cabling, and low power consumption. These locks typically issue unlocking permissions and validity periods to the lock locally via IC card or mobile application during check-in.

[0003] For security auditing and accountability, offline electronic door locks use their built-in, battery-powered real-time clock (RTC) chip to record the timestamp of each unlocking operation, creating a local unlocking log. However, due to cost and physical limitations, offline door locks generally use low-power crystal oscillators as their clock reference. These crystal oscillators are prone to frequency drift due to manufacturing tolerances, temperature variations, battery voltage fluctuations, and long-term aging, causing the lock's built-in clock to be inaccurate. This error accumulates over time, and it is common for deviations of several minutes or even longer to occur after several months.

[0004] Existing solutions often focus on real-time clock synchronization or using dynamic passwords (such as the TOTP algorithm) to circumvent clock issues. However, these solutions tend to focus on "how to successfully unlock the door," neglecting how to ensure the authenticity of post-event audit data when the hardware clock inevitably drifts. At this point, the unlock timestamp recorded by the door lock deviates from the actual physical time, leading to two serious problems: The first is a "security audit vulnerability." When the door lock clock slows down (lags), at the critical point of user authorization time handover (e.g., the previous guest checks out at 12:00 noon), if the previous guest attempts to unlock the door at 12:05 (the actual time), the door lock, believing the time is still before 12:00, will mistakenly allow entry and record a seemingly legitimate "earlier than 12:00" timestamp. This can lead to unauthorized intrusion being concealed during post-event audits. The second is "false denial of customer complaints." When the door lock clock runs fast (advances), a legitimate guest may return to their room before the authorized card expires (e.g., 11:55), but the lock will interpret it as past midnight and refuse to open the door. Without effective calibration methods, the hotel will struggle to explain why the room card, "clearly not expired," is unusable, easily leading to customer complaints and compensation disputes.

[0005] Such distorted records not only cause management chaos, but also render them ineffective as reliable evidence in the event of property damage or safety disputes.

[0006] Therefore, how to provide a technical solution that can correct inaccurate unlocking time records in offline electronic door locks, thereby accurately restoring the time and corresponding personnel of real unlocking events, and accurately attributing abnormal unlocking behaviors (including false access and false rejection) has become a technical problem that urgently needs to be solved in this field. Summary of the Invention

[0007] The purpose of this invention is to provide a method and system for calibrating unlocking records of offline electronic door locks, in order to solve the core problems mentioned in the background art, such as inaccurate unlocking record time due to clock drift of offline door locks, inability to accurately trace the real unlocker, and inability to accurately locate the cause of unlocking failure.

[0008] This invention provides a method for calibrating unlocking records of an offline electronic door lock, comprising: acquiring authorized user information associated with the offline electronic door lock, the authorized user information including at least one user identifier and an authorized time period corresponding to the user identifier; acquiring unlocking logs stored within the offline electronic door lock, the unlocking logs containing at least one original unlocking timestamp recorded based on the built-in clock of the offline electronic door lock; calibrating the original unlocking timestamps in the unlocking logs based on a preset time calibration algorithm to generate a true unlocking time; and comparing the true unlocking time with the authorized time period in the authorized user information to determine the user identifier corresponding to the true unlocking time or verify the legality of the unlocking operation corresponding to the original unlocking timestamp.

[0009] As can be seen, this invention solves the inherent clock drift defect of offline hardware devices through a post-event data calibration technology. It eliminates the need for hardware modifications to existing offline door locks or forcing them to frequently connect to the network; instead, it uses a purely software algorithm to restore the true data, resulting in extremely low cost and ease of implementation. This method not only transforms unlocking logs, whose credibility was significantly reduced due to inaccurate timestamps, into accurate electronic evidence, but also effectively identifies two extreme cases caused by clock errors: "concealed unauthorized entry" and "false denial of legitimate user access." This greatly enhances the rigor, traceability, and operational diagnostic efficiency of the security management system.

[0010] Optionally, the time calibration algorithm calibrates the original unlock timestamp based on the most recent time synchronization record of the offline electronic door lock and a preset clock drift rate.

[0011] It is evident that by introducing the physical characteristic parameter of clock drift rate, the calibration algorithm can more scientifically simulate the accumulation process of clock error, thereby significantly improving the accuracy of calibration results.

[0012] Optionally, the time calibration algorithm specifically includes: obtaining the standard time point and the internal time point of the offline electronic door lock during the most recent time synchronization; calculating the cumulative error of the built-in clock based on the difference between the standard time point and the internal time point, as well as the duration of the original unlocking timestamp and the standard time point, combined with the clock drift rate; and using the cumulative error to correct the original unlocking timestamp to generate the true unlocking time.

[0013] As can be seen, this solution provides a specific, quantifiable, and executable algorithm implementation path, enabling the technical concept of this invention to be clearly understood and reproduced by those skilled in the art, thereby enhancing the stability and reliability of the solution.

[0014] Optionally, the unlocking log also includes records of unlocking failures due to exceeding the authorized time period; the step of comparing the actual unlocking time with the authorized time period in the authorized user information further includes: when the actual unlocking time falls within the authorized time period, it is confirmed that the offline electronic door lock has erroneously rejected the user's legitimate unlocking request due to clock drift.

[0015] As can be seen, this solution expands the application scenarios of the present invention, enabling it to be used not only for security auditing, but also for customer complaint handling and equipment fault diagnosis, helping managers quickly clarify whether the door opening failure is caused by user delays or equipment malfunctions.

[0016] Optionally, the user identifier is the hotel guest's identity information, and the authorized time period is the guest's stay validity period.

[0017] As can be seen, this solution clarifies an important and valuable application scenario for the present invention, enabling the technical solution to be closely integrated with specific industry needs and demonstrating its ability to solve practical problems.

[0018] This invention also provides an offline electronic door lock unlocking record calibration system, comprising a management terminal configured to store authorized user information associated with the offline electronic door lock, the authorized user information including at least one user identifier and an authorized time period corresponding to the user identifier; an offline electronic door lock configured to record and store unlocking logs containing original unlocking timestamps generated based on its built-in clock; and a processing server communicatively connected to the management terminal and capable of acquiring the unlocking logs of the offline electronic door lock, the processing server being configured to: acquire authorized user information from the management terminal; acquire unlocking logs; calibrate the original unlocking timestamps in the unlocking logs based on a preset time calibration algorithm to generate a true unlocking time; and compare the true unlocking time with the authorized time period in the authorized user information to determine the user identifier corresponding to the true unlocking time or verify the legality of the unlocking operation corresponding to the original unlocking timestamp.

[0019] As can be seen, this invention not only provides a method, but also a system architecture for implementing the method, providing complete hardware and software entity support for the implementation of this invention.

[0020] Optionally, the processing server is also configured to perform a time calibration algorithm based on the most recent time synchronization record of the offline electronic door lock and a preset clock drift rate.

[0021] It is evident that by integrating more precise algorithms at the system level, the entire system acquires more advanced intelligent data analysis capabilities, thereby improving the overall performance and accuracy of the system.

[0022] Optionally, the unlocking log also includes records of unlocking failures due to exceeding the authorized time period; the processing server is also configured to generate a diagnostic report when the actual unlocking time falls within the authorized time period, the diagnostic report being used to confirm that the offline electronic door lock erroneously rejected the user's legitimate unlocking request due to clock drift.

[0023] It is evident that the system possesses automated fault diagnosis capabilities, enabling it to automatically identify customer complaints caused by equipment problems, thus significantly reducing the cost and difficulty of manual troubleshooting.

[0024] The present invention also provides a computer-readable storage medium having a computer program stored thereon, which, when executed by a processor, implements the steps of any of the above methods.

[0025] As can be seen, this invention can be distributed and deployed in the form of software products, which facilitates its application on various general-purpose computing devices.

[0026] The present invention also provides an electronic device, including a memory and a processor, wherein the memory stores a computer program, and the processor is configured to, when executing the computer program, implement the steps of any of the above methods.

[0027] As can be seen, this invention can be integrated into existing servers, management terminals, or dedicated handheld devices, exhibiting good compatibility and scalability. Attached Figure Description

[0028] The accompanying drawings, which are incorporated in and form part of this specification, illustrate embodiments of the invention and, together with their description, serve to explain the principles of the invention.

[0029] Figure 1 This is a structural block diagram of the offline electronic door lock unlocking record calibration system provided in an embodiment of the present invention.

[0030] Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram illustrating the principle of lock record calibration in an embodiment of the present invention.

[0031] Explanation of reference numerals in the attached diagram: 10, Management terminal; 20, Processing server; 30, Offline electronic door lock; 40, Data reading device. Detailed Implementation

[0032] Various exemplary embodiments of the present invention will now be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. It should be noted that, unless otherwise specifically stated, the relative arrangement, numerical expressions, and values ​​of the components and steps set forth in these embodiments do not limit the scope of the invention.

[0033] The following description of at least one exemplary embodiment is merely illustrative and is in no way intended to limit the invention or its application or use.

[0034] Techniques, methods, and equipment known to those skilled in the art may not be discussed in detail, but where appropriate, they should be considered part of the specification.

[0035] In all the examples shown and discussed herein, any specific values ​​should be interpreted as merely exemplary and not as limitations. Therefore, other examples of exemplary embodiments may have different values.

[0036] It should be noted that similar labels and letters in the following figures indicate similar items; therefore, once an item is defined in one figure, it does not need to be discussed further in subsequent figures.

[0037] The core technical idea of ​​this invention is not to try to keep the clock of the offline door lock accurate forever, but to acknowledge that it is bound to drift, and to use a set of post-event data processing procedures to calibrate the "relative time" recorded by the door lock to "absolute real time" through an algorithm, thereby achieving accurate traceability.

[0038] Please see Figure 1 This paper illustrates the architecture of an offline electronic door lock unlocking record calibration system according to an embodiment of the present invention. The system mainly consists of a management terminal 10, a processing server 20, and one or more offline electronic door locks 30. In hotel applications, the management terminal 10 typically refers to the hotel's front desk management system (PMS) server. It is responsible for handling guest check-in and check-out settlements, and accurately records the authorized user information for each room at different time periods. A set of authorized user information contains at least two core elements: a unique user identifier (e.g., the guest's name "Zhang San" or their ID number), and the authorized time period corresponding to that identifier (e.g., from "August 1, 2025, 14:00:00" to "August 2, 2025, 12:00:00").

[0039] The offline electronic door lock 30 is a standalone, battery-powered device installed on the guest room door. Internally, it integrates a microcontroller (MCU), non-volatile memory (such as Flash Memory), a real-time clock chip (RTC), and a bolt drive motor. This door lock does not maintain a network connection during normal operation. Its non-volatile memory is used to persistently store unlocking logs. The unlocking logs include not only records of successful unlocking but also records of unlocking failures due to permission verification failures (such as time expiration). Each time an operation occurs, the door lock records a log entry, which invariably includes a timestamp provided by its internal RTC; this is referred to as the original unlocking timestamp.

[0040] The processing server 20 can be a standalone physical server or a dedicated software application running on the management terminal 10. It is the core computing unit for executing the calibration method of this invention. The processing server 20 can access the database of the management terminal 10 to obtain authorized user information. Simultaneously, it also needs to acquire the unlocking logs from the offline electronic door lock 30. Since the door lock 30 is offline, log acquisition is typically accomplished through an intermediary—a data reading device 40. The data reading device 40 can be a handheld terminal (PDA), which maintenance personnel periodically use to download encrypted log files from the door lock 30 via temporarily established near-field communication (such as NFC, Bluetooth) or physical contact (such as a USB interface), and then upload the log files to the processing server 20 via Wi-Fi or a cellular network.

[0041] Example 1: Security Audit Scenario (corresponding to) Figure 2 (Right-side logic) This embodiment illustrates the application of the present invention in resolving the problem of unclear responsibility for unlocking during the handover period between new and old guests due to a lag (slowness) in the door lock clock. Assume the administrator needs to investigate the unlocking status of room 101 on August 2, 2025.

[0042] First, obtain authorized user information. The processing server 20 requests authorized user information for room 101 before and after the specified date from the management terminal 10. The obtained information is as follows: User ID: Tommy, Authorization Time Period: [2025-08-01 14:00:00, 2025-08-02 12:00:00] User ID: Lisa, Authorization Time Period: [2025-08-02 15:01:00, 2025-08-03 12:00:00] Secondly, the unlocking logs of the offline door locks were retrieved. Maintenance personnel used data reading device 40 to export the unlocking logs from the offline electronic door lock 30 in room 101. Upon on-site verification, it was found that the lock's built-in clock was 15 minutes behind standard Beijing time. After receiving and parsing the log file, processing server 20 discovered a crucial record: Record A: Original unlock timestamp 2025-08-02 14:55:50. In traditional analysis methods, since 14:55:50 is earlier than Lisa's authorization start time of 15:01:00, the system will incorrectly determine that the unlocking was not done by Lisa, thus making it impossible to identify the person who unlocked the door, or incorrectly suspecting that Tommy, who has already checked out, has violated regulations.

[0043] Next, the original unlock timestamp is calibrated. The processing server 20 calls the time calibration algorithm module to correct the original timestamp of record A. In this embodiment, a simplified fixed compensation algorithm is used, which compensates for the known 15-minute lag error: Actual unlock time of record A = 2025-08-02 14:55:50 + 15 minutes = 2025-08-02 15:10:50.

[0044] Then, the real person who unlocked the door is verified. The processing server 20 compares the calibrated real unlock time, 2025-08-02 15:10:50, with the previously obtained authorized time period. This time point clearly falls within the authorized time period of user Lisa [2025-08-02 15:01:00, ...].

[0045] Finally, the confirmation result is output. The processing server 20 outputs an analysis report, clearly indicating that the unlocking operation that occurred at 15:10:50 on August 2, 2025, was actually performed by Lisa. Through this embodiment, the present invention successfully and accurately attributed an unlocking record that was ambiguous due to clock drift to the legitimate operator.

[0046] Example 2: Concealed violation detection scenario (corresponding to) Figure 2 (Left-side logic) This embodiment illustrates the application of the present invention in accurately auditing guest check-out behavior, particularly in detecting "covert unauthorized entry" caused by clock lag. Assuming the same background as in Embodiment 1, the administrator needs to accurately verify the last time the previous guest, Tommy, unlocked the door.

[0047] The first step is to obtain information and logs. Authorization information and clock errors are the same as above. The logs obtained from the door lock contain another record: Record B: Original unlock timestamp 2025-08-02 11:45:10; At this time, since the door lock believes that the current time (11:45:10) is still before Tommy's authorization deadline (12:00:00), the door lock performs the unlocking action and records the unlocking success log.

[0048] The second step is time calibration. Processing server 20 performs the same calibration on the original timestamp of record B: the actual unlocking time of record B = 2025-08-02 11:45:10 + 15 minutes = 2025-08-02 12:00:10.

[0049] The third step is comparison and output of results. The processing server 20 compares the calibrated real time 2025-08-02 12:00:10 with Tommy's authorized time period [...], 2025-08-02 12:00:00. The result shows that the unlocking occurred 10 seconds after the end of Tommy's authorized time. The system can then generate an accurate audit report indicating that Tommy's last unlocking occurred after the check-out time. This shows that Tommy actually swiped his card to enter after the check-out time (12:00:10), but managed to pass through by exploiting a loophole where the door lock clock had slowed down. This invention successfully reveals a security vulnerability that conventional methods cannot detect.

[0050] Example 3: Customer Complaint Fault Diagnosis Scenario (Handling "False Refusal") This example illustrates the application of the present invention in analyzing customer complaints where a legitimate guest is mistakenly refused entry due to a door lock clock running ahead of time. Hypothetical Scenario: Guest Jerry checks into room 205, with a check-out time of 12:00:00 on August 5, 2025. Jerry complains that he attempted to return to his room to retrieve his luggage at 11:55 that day but found his room key card invalid and unable to open the door.

[0051] Log retrieval: The operations and maintenance personnel exported the door lock log for room 205. The log shows a failure record: Record C: Original timestamp 2025-08-05 12:05:00; Operation result: Unlock failed (Error code: Expired).

[0052] Checking the original logs directly, it seems the door lock determination was correct, since 12:05 did indeed exceed 12:00.

[0053] Clock drift detection: When the maintenance personnel exported the logs and compared the time, they found that the clock of the door lock was 10 minutes ahead of the standard time.

[0054] Time calibration: Processing server 20 calibrates the original timestamp of record C. Since the clock is 10 minutes fast, the calibration algorithm performs a subtraction operation: the actual occurrence time of record C = 2025-08-05 12:05:00 - 10 minutes = 2025-08-05 11:55:00.

[0055] Attribution analysis: Processing server 20 compared the actual occurrence time (11:55:00) with Jerry's authorization expiration time (12:00:00). The result showed: 11:55:00 < 12:00:00.

[0056] Diagnostic Conclusion: The system outputs a diagnostic report stating that guest Jerry's card swipe occurred within the authorized validity period. The unlocking failure was indeed due to the door lock clock being significantly ahead (10 minutes fast), causing the internal time of the door lock to reach 12:05 when the actual time was 11:55, thus triggering the expiration interception. This report provides solid data support for the hotel in handling customer complaints and compensation and arranging equipment repairs.

[0057] In a more sophisticated algorithmic model, the time calibration algorithm can be based on the most recent synchronization standard time (T) of the door lock. sync ), the door lock clock error at that time (E) sync ), and an empirical clock drift rate (R drift (e.g., -0.2 seconds / hour) to dynamically calculate the error. For any original unlock timestamp (T) raw ), and its corresponding real time (T) real The formula for calculating ) is: T real = T raw - (E sync + (T raw - (T sync - E sync )) * R drift ) The meanings of the variables in the formula are as follows: T real : Indicates the actual unlocking time generated after calibration and calculation; T raw : Represents the original unlock timestamp read from the unlock log; T sync : Indicates the standard time at the time of the most recent time synchronization of the offline electronic door lock; E sync This indicates the error value between the built-in clock and the standard time of the offline electronic door lock during the most recent time synchronization. R drift : Indicates the preset clock drift rate, which reflects the rate at which the lock's built-in clock develops errors over time. This dynamic compensation algorithm can more accurately reproduce the actual unlocking time at different points in time.

[0058] The electronic device protected by this invention can be implemented in various physical forms, such as: a processing server 20 that performs the calibration method, which can be a cloud server or a locally deployed computer host; a management terminal 10 that integrates the calibration program, which can be a computer at the front desk of a hotel; or a data reading device 40 with corresponding processing capabilities, which can be a handheld PDA, a dedicated data acquisition card, or even a smartphone with a specific application installed.

[0059] Furthermore, the computer-readable storage medium protected by this invention stores a computer program that, when executed by a processor, enables the aforementioned calibration method. This medium can be any physical device capable of storing program code, such as a server hard drive, a computer's solid-state drive (SSD) or hard disk drive (HDD), a USB flash drive, an SD card, or an optical disc (such as a CD-ROM or DVD). The program can be pre-installed on these media or downloaded and stored thereon via a network.

[0060] In summary, the method and system provided by this invention effectively solve the problem of data inaccuracy caused by hardware clock drift by performing post-event calibration on the original unlocking time records of offline door locks. It not only enables accurate and reliable traceability of the identity of the unlocking personnel, but also accurately restores and diagnoses abnormal situations such as "illegal entry" and "false rejection of legitimate users", providing strong technical support for security management and operation and maintenance services.

[0061] Those skilled in the art will understand that the above embodiments are merely examples, and various modifications and variations can be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention. For example, the logs can also be obtained by the door lock actively reporting at a specific time (such as via Bluetooth Low Energy broadcast). All such variations should fall within the protection scope of the present invention.

Claims

1. A method for calibrating unlocking records of an offline electronic door lock, characterized in that, include: Obtain authorized user information associated with the offline electronic door lock, the authorized user information including at least one user identifier and an authorized time period corresponding to the user identifier; obtain the unlocking log stored in the offline electronic door lock, the unlocking log including at least one original unlocking timestamp recorded based on the built-in clock of the offline electronic door lock; Based on a preset time calibration algorithm, the original unlock timestamp in the unlock log is calibrated to generate the true unlock time; The actual unlocking time is compared with the authorized time period in the authorized user information to determine the user identifier corresponding to the actual unlocking time or to verify the legality of the unlocking operation corresponding to the original unlocking timestamp.

2. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that, The time calibration algorithm calibrates the original unlocking timestamp based on the most recent time synchronization record of the offline electronic door lock and a preset clock drift rate.

3. The method according to claim 2, characterized in that, The time calibration algorithm specifically includes: obtaining the standard time point and the internal time point of the offline electronic door lock during the most recent time synchronization; calculating the cumulative error of the built-in clock based on the difference between the standard time point and the internal time point, the duration of the original unlocking timestamp and the standard time point, and the clock drift rate; and using the cumulative error to correct the original unlocking timestamp to generate the true unlocking time.

4. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that, The unlocking log also includes records of unlocking failures due to exceeding the authorized time period; the step of comparing the actual unlocking time with the authorized time period in the authorized user information further includes: when the actual unlocking time falls within the authorized time period, it is confirmed that the offline electronic door lock has erroneously rejected the user's legitimate unlocking request due to clock drift.

5. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that, The user identifier is the hotel guest's identity information, and the authorized time period is the validity period of the guest's stay.

6. An offline electronic door lock unlocking record calibration system, characterized in that, include: A management terminal is configured to store authorized user information associated with an offline electronic door lock, the authorized user information including at least one user identifier and an authorized time period corresponding to the user identifier; the offline electronic door lock is configured to record and store an unlocking log containing an original unlocking timestamp generated based on its built-in clock; and a processing server is communicatively connected to the management terminal and capable of acquiring the unlocking log of the offline electronic door lock, the processing server being configured to: acquire the authorized user information from the management terminal; acquire the unlocking log; calibrate the original unlocking timestamp in the unlocking log based on a preset time calibration algorithm to generate a true unlocking time; and compare the true unlocking time with the authorized time period in the authorized user information to determine the user identifier corresponding to the true unlocking time or verify the legality of the unlocking operation corresponding to the original unlocking timestamp.

7. The system according to claim 6, characterized in that, The processing server is also configured to execute the time calibration algorithm based on the most recent time synchronization record of the offline electronic door lock and a preset clock drift rate.

8. The system according to claim 6, characterized in that, The unlocking log also includes unlocking failure records caused by exceeding the authorized time period; the processing server is also configured to generate a diagnostic report when the actual unlocking time falls within the authorized time period, the diagnostic report being used to confirm that the offline electronic door lock erroneously rejected the user's legitimate unlocking request due to clock drift.

9. A computer-readable storage medium having a computer program stored thereon, characterized in that, When the program is executed by the processor, it implements the method as described in any one of claims 1 to 5.

10. An electronic device comprising a memory and a processor, wherein the memory stores a computer program, characterized in that, When the processor is configured to execute the computer program, it implements the method as described in any one of claims 1 to 5.

Images