Access control method for a restricted-access area using a hearing device

Abstract

An access control procedure for an access-restricted area (4, 40) is described, utilizing a hearing device (2) equipped with an ultra-wideband communication device (10). According to the procedure, the presence of the hearing device (2), which also has a narrowband communication device (16), is detected by means of an area-side narrowband communication device (28). Upon detection of the hearing device (2), an ultra-wideband communication connection is established between the area-side and hearing device-side ultra-wideband communication devices (10). Furthermore, the access authorization associated with the hearing device (2) is queried, and the distance between the hearing device (2) and the access-restricted area (4, 40) is determined based on the ultra-wideband communication connection.If the hearing device (2) has access authorization and the hearing device (2) is located within a specified distance to the restricted area (4, 40), the access restriction is lifted at least temporarily.

Description

[0001] The invention relates to an access control method for a restricted-access area using a hearing device. The invention also relates to an access control system and a hearing device.

[0002] Hearing aids typically serve to output an audio signal to the hearing of the wearer. The output is transmitted via an output transducer, usually acoustically via airborne sound using a loudspeaker (also referred to as a "receiver" or "earpiece"). Such hearing aids are often used as so-called hearing aids (also referred to as hearing aids for short). For this purpose, the hearing aids typically comprise an acoustic input transducer (in particular a microphone) and a signal processor configured to process the input signal (also called a microphone signal) generated by the input transducer from the ambient sound using at least one signal processing algorithm, usually stored for the specific user, in such a way that any hearing loss of the hearing aid wearer is at least partially compensated.Particularly in the case of a hearing aid, the output transducer can be a loudspeaker, a bone conduction hearing aid, or a cochlear implant, which are designed to mechanically or electrically couple the audio signal into the wearer's ear. The term "hearing aid" also includes devices such as tinnitus maskers, headsets, headphones, and the like.

[0003] Typical designs of hearing aids, especially hearing aids, are behind-the-ear ("BTE") and in-the-ear ("ITE" or "ITE") hearing aids. These terms refer to the intended wearing position. Behind-the-ear hearing aids have a (main) housing that is worn behind the ear. A distinction can be made between models with a speaker located within this housing – sound is usually delivered to the ear via a sound tube worn in the ear canal – and models with an external speaker placed in the ear canal. In-the-ear hearing aids, on the other hand, have a housing that is worn in the ear or even completely within the ear canal.

[0004] Restricted access areas include, for example, rooms such as apartments, offices, and even motor vehicles. In the latter case in particular, traditional keys, which require a mechanical unlocking of a lock, are increasingly being used less. However, locks are now also being used in rooms that no longer require a traditional key, but instead use, for example, a key card (common in hotels) or another transponder. The transponder can be designed as a separate key device. Alternatively, a smartphone can also be used, as these often have short-range communication features (e.g., Near Field Communication "NFC," Bluetooth Low Energy "BLE," or similar), which enable the exchange of digital key signatures with a lock-side controller.

[0005] The invention is based on the object of improving access control to a restricted area.

[0006] This object is achieved according to the invention by an access control method having the features of claim 1. Furthermore, this object is achieved according to the invention by an access control system having the features of claim 10. Furthermore, this object is achieved according to the invention by a hearing device having the features of claim 11. Further advantageous and partly inventive embodiments and further developments are set out in the subclaims and the following description.

[0007] The access control method according to the invention serves for access control of an access-restricted area (i.e., at or for such an area) using two hearing devices. Preferably, each of the hearing devices is a hearing aid. Each of the hearing devices has an ultra-wideband communication device and also a narrowband communication device. According to the method, the presence of the hearing devices is first queried using a narrowband communication device on the area side (i.e., assigned to the access-restricted area). If the presence of the hearing devices is detected thereby, an ultra-wideband communication connection is established (i.e., set up) between an area-side and the hearing device-side ultra-wideband communication device. Furthermore, an access authorization assigned to the hearing devices is queried.Based on the ultra-wideband communication connection, the distance between the hearing aids and the restricted-access area is also determined. If the hearing aids are authorized to access the restricted-access area and are located within a specified distance from the restricted-access area, the access restriction is then lifted, at least temporarily.

[0008] This approach has the advantage that modern hearing aids often already have a narrowband communication device that serves to communicate with other devices. A narrowband communication connection to the other device established via the narrowband communication device is preferably used in the method described above as a kind of wake-up function for the ultra-wideband communication device. In particular, the ultra-wideband communication device of the hearing aids (and in particular also the area-side one) is activated when the narrowband communication device is established between the access-restricted area and the hearing aids.Optionally, to activate the ultra-wideband communication device, an activation command is also transmitted, in particular from the narrowband communication device on the range side to the hearing aids, specifically to their narrowband communication device, based on which the hearing aids activate their ultra-wideband communication device. This means that the ultra-wideband communication device of the hearing aids does not have to be constantly active, thus saving energy. The ultra-wideband communication device, on the other hand, has the advantage that it can be operated comparatively energy-efficiently during communication, i.e., during data exchange.In particular, the ultra-wideband communication device can be operated with a particularly low power consumption of less than 10 mW, in particular less than 7 mW, preferably less than 5 mW, 2 mW or 1.5 mW, and particularly preferably less than 1 mW, compared to the narrowband communication device.

[0009] In a preferred method variant, the distance of the hearing aids to the restricted-access area is determined using a signal propagation time measurement. This allows for comparatively secure access control, particularly against unauthorized access. Third-party attacks, for example, using signal amplification, are sometimes successful with conventional narrowband communication connections, as these sometimes rely on signal strength as a measure of distance. However, with a signal propagation time measurement, third-party intervention is generally not effective, as this would impose an implausible latency on the ultra-wideband signal.

[0010] Alternatively, the distance of the hearing aids to the restricted-access area is determined based on a so-called angle of arrival of a signal transmitted within the ultra-wideband communication connection. This can be used in particular when two ultra-wideband communication devices (or at least two ultra-wideband antennas) are present, especially on the same area. For example, the distance of the transmitter can be determined based on a phase shift of the signal detected by these two communication devices or antennas.

[0011] In a practical variant of the method, a movement trajectory of the hearing aids relative to the access-restricted area is determined based on the ultra-wideband communication connection. This can be done, for example, using several consecutive signal propagation time measurements and / or using several antennas assigned to the access-restricted area. However, a conclusion about the movement trajectory can also be drawn by comparing the distance of the two hearing aids from the access-restricted area, in particular by observing the temporal progression of the two distance values. In this case, the access restriction is lifted, or at least another measure is taken, if the movement trajectory corresponds to a stored specification.If the restricted access area is an apartment or a motor vehicle, a so-called "homecoming function" can be activated if it is detected that the hearing aids are moving toward the apartment door or a specific vehicle door. This homecoming function can, for example, initially only involve activating the lights without removing the access restriction (in this case, unlocking the door). The latter then only occurs when another approach is detected.

[0012] In a suitable variant of the method, a communication interface configured according to the Bluetooth standard, preferably Bluetooth Low Energy, is used as the narrowband communication device (in particular both for the respective hearing aid and for the restricted-access area). This is an established standard used by many devices to communicate with each other, and some hearing aids also use it to communicate with control units, smartphones, or the like.

[0013] As already indicated above, in a practical method variant for the area-side ultra-broadband communication device, several spatially spaced antennas are used. This makes it easy to achieve a comparatively high spatial resolution for locating the hearing devices. This is advantageous, for example, in the case of a motor vehicle, particularly for detecting which door the hearing devices are located in front of and also - since in this case the hearing devices (or at least one of these hearing devices) function as a digital vehicle key, or more precisely, store this key - whether the hearing devices are inside the motor vehicle. Furthermore, using several antennas, even a comparatively small movement of the hearing devices themselves can be detected.A (body) movement of a person using the hearing aid can be recorded and used as a criterion for releasing the access-restricted area.

[0014] In a further expedient method variant, (two) hearing aids, optionally a pair of binaurally operating hearing aids, each with an ultra-wideband communication device, are used as the two hearing devices. In this case (but also independently of the use of the hearing aids as hearing instruments), the distance of each hearing aid (hearing instrument) to the access-restricted area is determined. From this, a movement, preferably a head movement, of the person wearing the hearing aid is then derived and compared with a reference (head) movement stored for lifting the access restriction. The access restriction is then lifted in particular if the (head) movement corresponds to the reference (head) movement or is sufficiently similar to it. In this case, a sequence of movements is used as the reference movement, i.e. not just a movement directed in one direction. For example,Bending of the upper body, in the case of head movement, in particular a nod or the like, can be used as such a reference (head) movement. In this case, simply approaching the restricted-access area is no longer sufficient; something more (i.e., in particular, an additional criterion, preferably the head movement described above) is required, which in turn increases safety. The use of two hearing instruments or hearing aids enables particularly precise results for detecting (head) movement.

[0015] In a preferred variant of the method, a door lock to the area is unlocked to remove the access restriction.

[0016] In a suitable variant of the procedure, as already described above, lighting of the access-restricted area is activated as another measure.

[0017] For the ultra-wideband communication connection, a communication signal bandwidth of at least 500 MHz and / or at least 20% of a center frequency is preferably used. The center frequency is understood to be the mean of the upper and lower limit frequencies of the corresponding frequency band. In contrast, conventional radio technologies intended for such applications (narrowband radio or narrowband communication) use significantly narrower frequency bandwidths, in particular less than half (WLAN, for example, with a maximum of approximately 160 MHz in the 5 GHz band, otherwise less than 100 MHz; Bluetooth also with less than 100 MHz). Furthermore, the ultra-wideband transceiver is preferably configured to transmit only single signal pulses (preferably in the range of less than 10 ns, sometimes in the range around 1 ns).In contrast to conventional radio technology (especially WLAN and Bluetooth), no modulation of a carrier signal, specifically its carrier frequency, is used, but rather so-called pulse modulation techniques.

[0018] The access control system according to the invention comprises an area-side controller for at least temporarily releasing the access restriction for the access-restricted area, as well as the aforementioned hearing devices. The access-restricted area, optionally its controller, and the hearing devices each comprise the ultra-wideband communication device and the narrowband communication device. The hearing devices comprise the hearing device-side controller. Both (i.e., the area-side and the hearing device-side, or more precisely, the three) controllers are configured to implement the access control method described above via a shared communication connection.

[0019] The hearing device according to the invention, which is particularly formed by a hearing aid, comprises the aforementioned ultra-wideband communication device, the narrowband communication device, and also the controller. Furthermore, the hearing device is configured for use in an access control system of the type described above—in particular by means of a corresponding program stored on the controller.

[0020] The controller is preferably (in each case) a microcontroller with an associated data memory on which software (in particular the aforementioned program) is installed in a executable manner. This software, in turn, contains program code that, when executed on the microcontroller, causes it to perform the method described above. Optionally, the controller can also comprise an ASIC on which the program is implemented in circuitry.

[0021] In the following, exemplary embodiments of the invention are explained in more detail with reference to a drawing. In the drawings: Fig. 1 in a schematic diagram of an access control system, Fig. 2 in view according to Fig. 1 a further embodiment of the access control system, Fig. 3 in a schematic flow diagram a method which is carried out by the access control system, and Fig. 4 in a schematic block diagram the access control system.

[0022] Corresponding parts are always provided with the same reference symbols in all figures.

[0023] In Fig. 1 An access control system 1 is shown as an example. In this exemplary embodiment, the access control system 1 comprises a hearing device, here, for example, a hearing aid (in short: "hearing aid 2"), and a motor vehicle 4. This hearing aid 2 represents, by way of example, a pair of these hearing aids 2. The motor vehicle 4 represents a restricted-access area, since the motor vehicle 4 may only be opened and / or driven by an authorized person 6 (here, the person 6 wearing the hearing aid 2). Fig. 4 The components of the access control system 1 are shown in a schematic block diagram.

[0024] In addition to a signal processor 8, which forms a controller, the hearing aid 2 has an ultra-wideband communication device (short: "UWB module 10"), which comprises a UWB antenna 12 and a UWB transceiver 14. Furthermore, the hearing aid 2 has a narrowband communication device, here a communication interface in the form of a Bluetooth module 16. The access-restricted area has a controller 20, a UWB module 22 with at least one UWB antenna 24, and a UWB transceiver 26. The access-restricted area also has a Bluetooth module 28. Furthermore, the access-restricted area has an enabling module, in the case of Fig. 1 a lock 30.

[0025] In Fig. 2 An alternative embodiment of the access control system 1 is shown. Here, the restricted-access area is formed by an apartment 40, which has a lockable door 42—a locked door in the restricted state.

[0026] By means of the access control system 1, a Fig. 3 The access control procedure described in more detail is carried out to grant access to the restricted area to an authorized person. In a first method step S1, the Bluetooth module 28 on the area side queries whether the hearing aid 2 is nearby. The presence of the hearing aid 2 is detected, for example, based on a response from the hearing aid 2 via its Bluetooth module 16, or optionally also based on a successful pairing of the Bluetooth module 10 with the Bluetooth module 28.

[0027] In a second method step S2, a digital key for the restricted-access area, for example, the motor vehicle 4 or the apartment 40, and the hearing aid 2 are then authenticated. For this purpose, the digital keys are exchanged, for example. This can optionally be done via Bluetooth or even via a UWB communication connection. If the digital keys are correct, i.e. authenticated, a distance measurement is carried out in a third method step S3 using the UWB communication connection between the hearing aid 2 and the restricted-access area (i.e., the motor vehicle 4 or the apartment 40). This distance measurement is based on a time-of-flight measurement of the UWB signal from the hearing aid 2 to the motor vehicle 4 or the apartment 40. In a fourth method step S4, a movement trajectory of the hearing aid 2 relative to the restricted-access area is optionally also determined, e.g.i.e., whether the hearing aid 2 (in particular the person 6 wearing the hearing aid 2) is moving past the motor vehicle 4. For this purpose, several consecutive distance measurements and / or - in the case of the motor vehicle 4, which has several UWB antennas 24 - several simultaneous distance measurements are evaluated.

[0028] In a fourth method step S4, the determined distance (value) is compared with a predetermined target value. If the hearing aid 2 is within the target value, the access restriction to the area is lifted in a fifth method step S5, i.e., the motor vehicle 4 or the lock 30 of the door 42 is unlocked.

[0029] Optionally, in a subsequent method step in the case of the motor vehicle 4, it can be checked whether the hearing aid 2 is also located inside the motor vehicle 4 before an ignition, immobilizer, engine start or the like is released.

[0030] The subject matter of the invention is not limited to the exemplary embodiments described above. Rather, further embodiments of the invention can be derived by those skilled in the art from the above description. In particular, the individual features of the invention and their design variants described with reference to the various exemplary embodiments can also be combined with one another in other ways. List of reference symbols

[0031] 1Access control system 2Hearing aid 4Motor vehicle 6Person 8Signal processor 10UWB module 12UWB antenna 14UWB transceiver 16Bluetooth module 20Controller 22UWB module 24UWB antenna 26UWB transceiver 28Bluetooth module 30Lock 40Apartment 42Door S1-S5Process step

Claims

1. An access control method for a restricted-access area (4, 40) using two hearing devices (2), in particular two hearing aids having an ultra-wideband communication device (10), wherein - the presence of the hearing devices (2), which also have a narrowband communication device (16), is queried by means of a narrowband communication device (28) on the area side, - upon detection of the presence of the hearing devices (2), an ultra-wideband communication connection is established between a zone-side and the hearing device-side ultra-wideband communication device (10), - an access authorization assigned to the hearing devices (2) is queried, - a distance of the hearing devices (2) from the restricted-access area (4, 40) is determined on the basis of the ultra-wideband communication connection,- if the access authorization of the hearing device (2) is present and the hearing device (2) is arranged within a predetermined distance from the access-restricted area (4, 40), the access restriction is at least temporarily lifted.

2. Access control method according to claim 1, wherein the distance of the hearing devices (2) to the access-restricted area is determined by means of a signal propagation time measurement or based on a signal arrival angle.

3. Access control method according to claim 1 or 2, wherein a movement trajectory of the hearing devices (2) relative to the access-restricted area (4, 40) is determined on the basis of the ultra-wideband communication connection, and the access restriction is lifted or at least another measure is taken if the movement trajectory corresponds to a stored specification.

4. Access control method according to one of claims 1 to 3, wherein a communication interface (16, 28) configured according to the Bluetooth standard is used as the narrowband communication device.

5. Access control method according to one of claims 1 to 4, wherein a plurality of spatially spaced antennas (24) are used for the area-side ultra-wideband communication device (10).

6. Access control method according to one of claims 1 to 5, wherein the distance of each hearing device (2) to the access-restricted area (4, 40) is determined, a movement of a person (6) wearing the hearing devices (2) being derived therefrom and compared with a reference movement stored for the lifting of the access restriction.

7. Access control method according to one of claims 1 to 6, wherein a door lock to the area (4, 40) is unlocked to remove the access restriction.

8. Access control method according to one of claims 3 to 7, wherein as another measure, lighting of the access-restricted area (4, 40) is activated.

9. Access control method according to one of claims 1 to 8, wherein a power consumption of less than 2 mW, in particular less than 1.5 mW, particularly preferably less than 1 mW, is used for the ultra-wideband communication device (10), and / or wherein a bandwidth of at least 500 MHz and / or at least 20% of a center frequency is used for the ultra-wideband communication connection.

10. Access control system, comprising an area-side controller (20) for at least temporarily releasing an access restriction for an access-restricted area (4, 40) and two hearing devices (2), in particular hearing aids, wherein the access-restricted area (4, 40) and the hearing devices (2) each have an ultra-wideband communication device (10, 22) and a narrowband communication device (), wherein the hearing devices (2) each have a hearing-device-side controller (8), and wherein the controllers (8, 20) are configured to carry out a method according to one of claims 1 to 9 under a common communication connection.

11. Hearing device (2), in particular a hearing aid, comprising an ultra-wideband communication device (10) and a narrowband communication device (16) as well as a controller (8) and configured for use in an access control system (1) according to claim 10.

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