Ultra-wideband devices for access control reader systems.

Abstract

To enable simultaneous installation or add-on connection of a reader in an ultra-wide band device for an access control reader system.SOLUTION: A device comprises: at least one antenna; an ultra-wide band (UWB) front end circuit connected to the at least one antenna to enable UWB communication with a credential device; a controller connected to the UWB front end circuit and configured to perform ranging for the credential device using the UWB communication; a secure element configured to cache secure data used for the ranging for the credential device; a communication link configured to interface with a reader of an access control system; and a housing separate from a housing of the reader. The housing of the device houses the at least one antenna, the UWB front end circuit, the controller and the secure element.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 4

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] TECHNICAL FIELD Embodiments of the present disclosure relate generally to access control systems, and more particularly to Ultra-Wide Band (UWB) device embodiments for access control systems. [Background technology]

[0002] Physical access control covers various systems and methods for controlling access by people, for example, to secure an area or to protect assets. Physical access control includes the identification of authorized users and / or devices (e.g., vehicles, drones, etc.) used to secure an area or the operation of control mechanisms, such as physical or electronic / software control mechanisms, that allow access to assets in a protected state, and the operation of gates, doors, or other mechanisms. A PACS may include readers (e.g., online or offline readers) that hold authorization data and may have the ability to determine whether a credential (e.g., from a credential or credential device, such as a card, fob, or a radio frequency identification (RFID) chip in a personal electronic device, such as a mobile phone) is authorized for an actuator (e.g., door lock, door opener, software control mechanism, turning off an alarm, etc.). In other examples, a PACS may include a host server to which readers and / or actuators (e.g., via a controller) are connected in a centralized management configuration. In a centrally managed configuration, a reader can obtain a credential from a credential or credential device and communicate the credential to a PACS host server, which can then determine whether the credential authorizes access to the protected area and can command actuators or other control mechanisms accordingly. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0003] A more detailed understanding can be had from the following description, presented by way of example in connection with the following drawings, in which like reference numerals are used to refer to like elements throughout. [Figure 1] FIG. 1 illustrates an example scenario in which a Physical Access Control System (PACS) including an example reader system in accordance with at least one embodiment may be used. [Diagram 2] 2 illustrates an example communication context in which the PACS of FIG. 1 may operate in accordance with at least one embodiment. [Figure 3A] FIG. 2 illustrates an example architecture for the reader system of FIG. 1 according to at least one embodiment. [Figure 3B] FIG. 2 illustrates an example architecture for the reader system of FIG. 1 according to at least one embodiment. [Figure 4] FIG. 2 illustrates an example architecture for the reader system of FIG. 1 according to at least one embodiment. [Figure 5A] 2A-2D collectively illustrate an example architecture of an ultra-wideband module of the reader system of FIG. 1 in accordance with at least one embodiment. [Figure 5B] 2A-2D collectively illustrate an example architecture of an ultra-wideband module of the reader system of FIG. 1 in accordance with at least one embodiment. [Figure 5C] 2A-2D collectively illustrate an example architecture of an ultra-wideband module of the reader system of FIG. 1 in accordance with at least one embodiment. [Figure 5D] 2A-2D collectively illustrate an example architecture of an ultra-wideband module of the reader system of FIG. 1 in accordance with at least one embodiment. [Figure 5E] 2A-2D collectively illustrate an example architecture of an ultra-wideband module of the reader system of FIG. 1 in accordance with at least one embodiment. [Figure 5F] 2A-2D collectively illustrate an example architecture of an ultra-wideband module of the reader system of FIG. 1 in accordance with at least one embodiment. [Figure 5G] 2A-2D collectively illustrate an example architecture of an ultra-wideband module of the reader system of FIG. 1 in accordance with at least one embodiment. [Figure 6] FIG. 1 is a block diagram illustrating an example of a machine upon which one or more embodiments may be implemented. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0004] Disclosed herein are embodiments of an Ultra Wideband (UWB) module for an access control system. The UWB module is described herein in the context of a physical access control system (PACS), but may be utilized in any other type of access control system. UWB is a radio frequency (RF) technique that uses short, low power pulses across a wide frequency spectrum. The pulses may occur at the rate of millions of times per second. The width of the frequency spectrum of a given UWB implementation is typically greater than the smaller of 500 megahertz (MHz) and 20 percent of the arithmetic center frequency of the frequency spectrum of the given UWB implementation.

[0005] UWB can be used for communication by encoding data via time modulation (e.g., pulse position encoding), where symbols are defined by pulses on a subset of time units from the available set of time units. Other examples of UWB encoding types include amplitude modulation and polar modulation. Wideband transmissions tend to be more robust against multipath fading than carrier-based transmission techniques. Furthermore, the relatively small power of pulses at any given frequency also tends to reduce interference with carrier-based communication techniques.

[0006] Figure 1 illustrates an example scenario 100 in which a PACS according to at least one embodiment may be used. As shown in Figure 1, a wall 102 has a door 104 disposed therein. In one example scenario, a protected area is located behind the door 104, and the door 104 has a lockable handle 106 that, when in an unlocked state, grants access to the protected area, and alternatively, when in a locked state, prevents access to the protected area.

[0007] A reader system 108 is disposed near the handle 106 of the door 104. In one embodiment, the handle 106 must have a locked state as its default state. The reader system 108 is operable to selectively place the handle 106 in an unlocked state in response to presentation of an authorized credential contained within a credential device 112, which may communicate with the reader system 108 via a wireless interface 110. In various different embodiments, the credential device 112 may be or include a key card, a fob, a mobile device (e.g., a smartphone), and / or any other suitable credential device having communication capabilities and credentials to implement embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0008] It should be understood that the present disclosure is applicable to many types of PACS used to protect many types of areas and / or other resources, assets, and / or the like. The situation 100 of Figure 1 is presented purely for purposes of illustration and not limitation.

[0009] 2 illustrates an example communication context 200 in which the PACS of FIG. 1 (e.g., including reader system 108) may operate according to at least one embodiment. As illustrated in FIG. 2, reader system 108 may be communicatively coupled to network 202 via communication link 204. Additionally, server 208 may be communicatively coupled to network 202 via communication link 206. In the present disclosure, communication links may include one or more wireless communication links and / or one or more wired communication links, and may include one or more intermediate devices, such as access points, network access servers, switches, routers, bridges, and / or the like. Additionally, network 202 may be or may include a data communication network, such as an Internet Protocol (IP) network and / or any other type of communication network or networks.

[0010] The server 208 may perform one or more functions of the reader system 108, such as authorization, authentication, and / or the like. In some embodiments, the reader system 108 performs functions locally, such as a stand-alone unit, perhaps with communication with one or more other devices, systems, servers, and / or the like, for example, via a Local Area Network (LAN). The server 208 may include a communications interface, a processor, and data storage containing instructions executable by the processor to perform the functions of the server 208.

[0011] FIG. 3A illustrates an example architecture 300 of a reader system 108 according to at least one embodiment. As illustrated in FIG. 3A, the reader system 108 may include a reader 302 and a UWB module 304 communicatively coupled to one another via a communication link 306. The communication link 306 may be wired or wireless. In one example, the communication link 306 is a BLE communication link. In some embodiments, the reader 302 is equipped and configured to use wireless communication, such as NFC and / or Bluetooth (e.g., Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE)), to communicate with a credential device and to selectively place the handle 106 in an unlocked state in response to presentation of an authorized credential contained within the credential device (e.g., the credential device 112).

[0012] Reader 302 can include a wireless communication interface to communicate according to NFC, BLE, and / or the like, and may also include a wired communication interface to communicate according to a Universal Serial Bus (USB) connection, an Ethernet connection, and / or the like. Reader 302 may also include a processor and data storage containing instructions executable by the processor to perform the functions of reader 302.

[0013] In some embodiments, the reader 302 is installed and used before the UWB is connected as an add-on module. In other embodiments, the reader 302 and the UWB module 304 are installed together as (or at least part of) the reader system 108. The UWB module 304 may be connected to an existing hardware port (or expansion port, expansion slot, or the like) of the reader 302 via a communication link 306. In some embodiments, the communication link 306 is or includes a data cable. Further details regarding an example architecture of the UWB module 304 are provided below in conjunction with FIGS. 5A-5G.

[0014] In one example, a user carrying a credential device may approach the reader system 108. When the credential device comes within a threshold range of the reader system 108, a credential may be exchanged, for example, by using Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE). This credential exchange may be coordinated, for example, using the reader 302. The reader 302 may then establish a secret, such as a scrambled time stamp (STS), with the credential device to enable ranging using UWB communication. The UWB ranging may be performed, for example, using the UWB module 304. This may operate upon receipt of data from the reader 302. The data may include an STS, a credential identifier such as a PACS-ID, and the like. Using ranging, one or more of the reader 302 or the UWB module 304 may be used to derive the user's intent to identify an intent trigger. Once the intent trigger is identified, the reader 302 can provide credentials to the user to allow access.

[0015] The UWB module may include a battery 308 or other type of local power source, including an energy harvester, a capacitor, and the like. The battery 308 may be used to provide power for the UWB module 304 such that the UWB module 304 does not need to receive power from the reader system 108, a door lock battery, or any other external power source. This may be advantageous because it may conserve power for the reader system 108 and it may be easier to replace the battery in a removable UWB module than any other battery in the reader system 108.

[0016] Figure 3B illustrates another example architecture 350 of a reader system 108, according to at least one embodiment. As shown in Figure 3B, the reader system 108 may include a reader 352, which may itself include (e.g., as an on-board module, component, or the like) a UWB module 354 that includes a battery 356. In one embodiment, the UWB module 354 is implemented as an integrated circuit (IC) plugged into a board (e.g., a main motherboard) of the reader 352.

[0017] As a general matter, the reader 352 may be similar to the reader 302 of Figure 3A, and thus will not be described in detail here. As with the architecture 300 described above in connection with Figure 3A, in the case of the architecture 350 of Figure 4, the reader 352 may be a pre-installed reader, with the UWB module 354 being added on later, or the reader 352 and the UWB module 354 could be associated with a common co-installation as (or at least as part of) the reader system 108.

[0018] 4 illustrates another example architecture 400 of a reader system 108. The reader system 108 includes a reader 400 and a UWB module 402 configured to communicate over a communication link 404. The communication link may be wired or wireless. For example, the reader 400 may be configured to communicate with the UWB module 402 using BLE. The reader 400 includes a controller 406, antennas 408a-408c, a secure element 410, an NFC-IC 412, an RFID IC 414, a sensor 416, a flash memory 418, a keypad 420, and interfaces 422 and 424. The controller 406 may be a BLE-SoC microcontroller or any other type of control circuitry. The controller 406 may be capable of NFC communication through the NFC-IC 412 and the antenna 408a. The controller may be capable of BLE communication using antenna 408b and RFID communication through RFID-IC 414 and antenna 408c. Interfaces 422 and 424 may be Wiegand and RS485 interfaces or any other interface type. Secure element 410 may be configured to cache protected data such as STS, PACS-ID, and the like. The components of reader 400 may be collected in a first housing.

[0019] The UWB module 402 includes a controller 426, antennas 428a and 428b, a battery 430, a secure element 432, and a UWB front end 434. The controller 426 may also be a BLE-SoC microcontroller or any other type of control circuitry. The battery 430 may be used to provide power for the UWB module 402 so that the UWB module does not need to be powered by a reader power supply, a lock power supply, or any other power source. The controller 426 may be capable of UWB communication through a UWB front end 434, which may be any circuitry configured to package and receive UWB messages for transmission and reception through the antennas 428a and 428b. The secure element 432 may be configured to cache protected data such as STS, PACS-ID, and the like. The components of the UWB module 402 may be described in more detail below in connection with FIGS. 5A-5G below. The components of the UWB module 402 may be collected in a second housing separate from the reader 400 .

[0020] In one example, a user carrying a credential device may approach the reader 400. When the credential device comes within a threshold range of the reader system 108, the controller 406 may exchange a credential with the credential device using BLE over the antenna 408b. The controller 406 may then establish a secret, such as a scrambled time stamp (STS), with the credential device to enable ranging using UWB communication. The UWB ranging may be performed, for example, by the controller 426 of the UWB module 402. This may operate upon receipt of data from the controller 406. The data may include an STS, an identifier of the credential, such as a PACS-ID, and the like. Using the ranging, one or more of the controllers 406 and 426 may be used to derive the user's intent to identify an intent trigger (such as moving to a particular location). Once the intent trigger is identified, the controller 406 may grant the credential to the user to allow access.

[0021] 5A-5G collectively illustrate an example UWB module architecture 500 for a UWB module (e.g., UWB module 304 of FIG. 3A, UWB module 354 of FIG. 3B, UWB module 402 of FIG. 4, and / or the like) according to at least one embodiment. In one embodiment, UWB module architecture 500 is implemented as one or more circuit boards on which one or more of the described components reside. In other embodiments, a distributed architecture may be used. Furthermore, it should also be noted that some specific components, connections, and the like are presented in a particular configuration within architecture 500 as shown and described in conjunction with FIGS. 5A-5G. It should be understood that this is for purposes of illustration and not limitation. In various embodiments, different components and / or different connections may be used in different configurations, and some components may be omitted in some embodiments. Furthermore, some components could be combined. Additionally or alternatively, the functionality of one or more components could be distributed across multiple components or combined in different ways. Various different input voltages, crystal oscillators, connectors, integrated circuits, and / or the like may be used in different embodiments. Various components related to debugging may be omitted from some embodiments.

[0022] 5A illustrates a first portion 500A of an example UWB module architecture 500 according to at least one embodiment. The first portion 500A is connected to a voltage V inext , V in , V inreader , and V usbAlso included is a voltage regulator configuration 502, which includes a first step-down regulator (4-17V to 3V3), a low noise regulator (3V3 to 1V8), and a second step-down regulator (4-17V to 1V8). The first step-down regulator is V in The low noise regulator is connected at the first connection to a second step-down regulator and at the second connection to an input voltage 3V3. The low noise regulator is connected to an input voltage of 3V3 and 1V8. RF The second step-down regulator is connected between V in and 1V8. The first and second step-down regulators may each be a LT®8607 manufactured by Analog Devices, Inc., headquartered in Norwood, Massachusetts. The low noise regulator may be a LT®3045 from Analog Devices.

[0023] Also, V in and 5V wi-fi Also included is a third step-down regulator (6-17V to 5V) connected between the UWB module and the external power source. The third step-down regulator can be disabled when USB powered due to insufficient power. The third step-down regulator can be a LT® 8607 from Analog Devices, Inc., and in at least one embodiment is activated only when the UWB module is powered via an external power source.

[0024] As a general matter, the UWB module can be powered, for example, via an external supply voltage or UWB. In some instances where USB is used as the power source, the on-board 5V regulation (i.e., the third step-down regulator used in some embodiments for the external Wi-Fi module) is deactivated since current consumption would potentially exceed the USB standard. Thus, in at least some embodiments, use of the Wi-Fi expansion module or any other 5V-supplied expansion board would justify the use of an external power source.

[0025] The first portion 500A further includes a micro USB element 504 connected to an input voltage Vusb, connected to ground, and further connected to a data link 505. In one embodiment, the Wi-fi functionality is not powered by the USB, and the USB only powers the BLE and UWB circuitry.

[0026] 5B illustrates a second portion 500B of an example UWB module architecture 500 according to at least one embodiment. In the illustrated embodiment, the second portion 500B includes a BLE system on chip (SoC) 506, a RevE expansion debug pin header 517, a RevE expansion connector 519, a general debug pin header 520, and an ESP32-WROOM expansion connector 522. In one embodiment, RevE refers to a hardware revision of a reader, such as an iCLASS-SE reader manufactured by HID Global Corporation, headquartered in Austin, Texas.

[0027] The ESP32-WROOM expansion connector 522 may provide a connection option for an ESP32 module designed for Wi-fi connectivity and may be configured to operate at up to 500mA current requirements at 5V, as an example. The ESP32-WROOM expansion module may provide Wi-fi capabilities to the RevE reader, making it a transparent reader over Wi-fi, and may include an adapter board to the ESP32-WROOM module and the RevE expansion connector (e.g., Hirose connector). A programming adapter (e.g., VCOM via FTDI to Hirose connector) may relatively allow firmware loading. The Wi-fi module could be plugged into this programming adapter.

[0028] The BLE-SoC 506 may be an NRF52840 manufactured by Nordic Semiconductor, headquartered in Trondheim, Norway. In one embodiment, the BLE-SoC 506 includes at least one on-board antenna. In at least one embodiment, the BLE-SoC 506 is the core microcontroller for a UWB module having the example architecture 500. In some embodiments, both the reader and the UWB module (also referred to as the platform) use a Nordic NRF52840 as their respective core microcontroller. In the UWB module embodiment of the present disclosure, the Nordic NRF52840 functions not only as the core controller for the UWB module, but also as the BLE interface used to set up a protected UWB ranging session. An example pin / peripheral assignment for the NRF52840 used as a BLE-SoC506 in at least one alignment is shown in Table 1 at the end of this detailed description.

[0029] BLE-SoC 506 is connected to both an input voltage of 3V3 and a 32MHz crystal oscillator, and is connected to data link 505 as well as data link 507, data link 508, data link 509, data link 510, data link 511, data link 512, data link 513, data link 514, data link 515, and data link 516. Data link 507 is connected to an optional display and to RevE expansion debug pin header 517, which in turn is connected to RevE expansion controller 519 via data link 518. The UWB module can be powered via RevE expansion connector 519 in embodiments where the UWB module is used as an add-on module to the reader. In some examples, the UWB module is powered via a dedicated power connector. Data link 508 is connected to general debug pin header 520, which in turn is connected to ESP32Wroom expansion connector 522 via data link 521. RevE expansion connector 519 is for input voltage V inreader and ground, while the ESP32Wroom expansion connector 522 is connected to an input voltage of 5V wi-fi and ground.

[0030] 5C illustrates a third portion 500C of the exemplary UWB module architecture 500 according to at least one embodiment. In the illustrated embodiment, the third portion 500C includes a mode selector 523, which can be or may include a low profile DIP switch and can be or may include a double switch that allows a developer to identify and / or define several (e.g., four) different operating modes of a UWB module having the exemplary UWB module architecture 500. The different operating modes can include, by way of example, RevE enhanced mode, standalone mode, Wi-fi mode, and debug mode. The mode selector 523 is connected to a data link 509. The mode selector 523 allows a single firmware image to be developed for these and other operating modes. In one embodiment, the mode selector 523 is a CVS-02TB manufactured by NIDEC Copal Electronics, Inc., of Torrance, California.

[0031] Also in the illustrated embodiment, the third portion 500C includes a secure element 524, an embedded video engine 526, a backlight driver 530, and a display connector 528. The secure element 524 can be a PCB that is separate from or on top of the main board of the UWB module architecture 500, as indicated by a board / printed circuit board (PCB) boundary 525. A data link 510 is connected to both the secure element 524 and the embedded video engine 526. The secure element 524 can be or include a Secure Access Module (SAM). In one embodiment, the secure element 524 is an ST33-ARM-SC330 secure microcontroller manufactured by STMicroelectronics, headquartered in Geneva, Switzerland.

[0032] The embedded video engine 526 may be an FT811 Embedded Video Engine (EVE) manufactured by Future Technology Devices International Limited, headquartered in Glasgow, Scotland in the United Kingdom. In at least one embodiment, the presence of the embedded video engine 526 on board assists in offloading the main microcontroller (i.e., the BLE-SoC 506). The embedded video engine 526 may be hardwired to drive an external display in RGB mode and to control a backlight driver 530. The embedded video engine 526 is connected to an input voltage 3V3 and is also connected to a backlight driver 530 by data link 529 and to a display controller 528 by data link 527. The backlight driver 530 is connected to the display controller 528 by data link 531. In the embodiment shown, backlight driver 530 is a FAN5333, a proprietary LED controller manufactured by Fairchild Semiconductor, a subsidiary of ON Semiconductor, headquartered in Phoenix, Arizona. In one embodiment, backlight driver 530 is used to control the display backlight. A shutdown pin of backlight driver 530 is controlled by embedded video engine 526 via Pulse Width Modulation (PWM) in one embodiment to allow dimming.

[0033] The display connector 528 is connected to an input voltage 3V3 and is further connected to the BLE SoC 506 via a data link 532. The display connector 528 may be compatible with Displaytech's DT024CTFT and DT024CTFT-TS displays, the latter of which support touch control. These are examples of external Thin-Film Transistor (TFT) displays that the disclosed UWB module architecture is designed to support, although other displays may be used instead. The display connector 528 may be a proprietary Flat Flex Connector (FFC). In one embodiment, the supported display has a pixel resolution of 320x240 and is 2.4'' in size. The supported display may use an ILI9341 controller from ILI Technology Corporation of Taiwan.

[0034] 5D illustrates a fourth portion 500D of an exemplary UWB module architecture 500 according to at least one embodiment. In the illustrated embodiment, the fourth portion 500D includes a JTAG (Joint Test Action Group) connector 533, which includes a group of Arduino-compatible expansion headers 535, and is connected to the data link 516, and a flash memory 534, which is connected to the data link 515 and also to an input voltage 3V3. In one embodiment, the flash memory 534 may be an MX25L flash memory module manufactured by Macronix International Co., Ltd., headquartered in Taiwan. In one embodiment, the specific part used is an MX25L1606EXCI-12G. The flash memory 534 may be used for storage of firmware images or other data. The capacity of the flash memory 534 may be, by way of example, 2MB. In one embodiment, a similar flash memory module is used in a reader to which the UWB module is operatively connected. The flash memory 534 and / or flash memory module in the reader may be connected to a Queued Serial Peripheral Interface (QSPI) to enable flash access while still maintaining the use of a common Secure Peripheral Interface (SPI) interface.

[0035] The JTAG connector 533 may be a FTSH-105-01-F-DV-K manufactured by Samtec, Inc., headquartered in New Albany, Indiana. The JTAG connector 533 may be configured to operate in Serial Wire (SW) mode, which is an operating mode for the JTAG port in which only two pins, TCLK and TMS, are used for communication. A third pin may optionally be used for tracing data. The JTAG and SW pins are shared. In one embodiment, in relation to the pins of the JTAG connector 533, TCLK is SWCLK (Serial Wire Clock), TMS is SWDIO (Serial Wire Debug Data Input / Output), TDO is SWO (Serial Wire Trace Output), and TDI is NC. Multiple JTAG connectors may be used on the board of a UWB module having the example architecture 500 described herein.

[0036] 5E illustrates a fifth portion 500E of an example UWB module architecture 500 according to at least one embodiment. In the illustrated embodiment, fifth portion 500E includes a first level shifter 536, a second level shifter 539, a UWB integrated circuit chip debug pin header 538, a secure element (SE) SPI pin header 543, an SE debug pin header 541, and an SE 542.

[0037] The first level shifter 536 may be a TXB0108 8-bit bidirectional voltage level translator manufactured by Texas Instruments Incorporated, headquartered in Dallas, Texas. The TXB0108 is used in at least one embodiment for general purpose I / O and SPI communication. In one embodiment, the core reset signal of the TXB0108 is used to control the output enable of the first level shifter 536. This allows both the SE 542 and the UWB-IC 551 of FIG. 5F, described below, to be connected to external circuitry when the core reset line is pulled low, which can be done, for example, via the BLE-SoC-EX06 or via a pin header. The first level shifter 536 is connected to the data link 514 and to a data link 537, which in turn is connected to a debug connector 538. In one embodiment, data link 537 includes a SPI bus that uses Unified Configuration Interface (UCI) commands for unsecured ranging and UWB-IC configuration.

[0038] The second level shifter 539 may include both a PCA9306DCUR bidirectional voltage level translator as well as a TXB0108 8-bit bidirectional voltage level translator also manufactured by Texas Instruments Incorporated. The PCA9306DCUR is a dedicated 2-bit bidirectional I2C level shifter. In one embodiment, the PCA9306DCUR is used for the I2C interface to the SE 542. The second level shifter 539 is connected to the data link 513 and also to a data link 540, which in turn is connected to both the NXP-SE debug connector 541 and the NXP Secure Element (SE) 542. In one embodiment, the NXP-SE debug connector 541 can be used for external device connection to update NXP applets (e.g., the Secure Element Management Service (SEMS) agent).

[0039] In one embodiment, the first level shifter 536 and the second level shifter 539 are used because the UWB-IC 551 described later in FIG. 5F is designed for mobile devices and therefore has only limited supply voltage support, specifically for 1.8V. Due to this, the interface to the UWB-IC 551 in this disclosure experiences a voltage level shift. In one alternative, it is possible to use a host controller that operates at 1.8V, or the I / O voltage of the host processor could be supplied by 1.8V. The advantage of the architecture shown is that it allows interfacing with external devices. Also, the cross-switch capability of the BLE-SoC 506 (in an embodiment using the nRF52840) provides flexible peripheral allocation on any of the external interfaces, thereby relatively reducing the advantage of using level shifters for its pins.

[0040] The SE 542 is connected to the SE-SPI pin header 543 via data link 544, which is itself connected to an input voltage IV8 and to ground. In addition to being connected to the SE-SPI pin header 543 via data link 544 and to both the second level shifter 530 and the NXP-SE debug connector 541 via data link 540, the SE 542 is also connected to an input voltage 3V3, an input voltage 1V8, and data link 545. In one embodiment, the SE 542 supports secure ranging. The SE 542 can be a Java Card SE with an NFC front end. In at least one embodiment, the SE 542 is an SN110U, which is a single chip secure element and NFC controller manufactured by NXP Semiconductors NV, headquartered in Eindhoven, Netherlands. In one embodiment, NFC is designed for integration within mobile devices that are NFC Forum, EMVCo, and ETSI / SWP compatible.

[0041] 5F illustrates a sixth portion 500F of an example UWB module architecture 500 according to at least one embodiment. In the illustrated embodiment, the sixth portion 500F includes a first matching circuit 553, a radar port 555, a first RF switch 558, a first Surface Acoustic Wave (SAW) bandpass filter 560, a second matching circuit 562, a first antenna port 564, a second RF switch 567, a second SAW bandpass filter 569, a third matching circuit 571, a second antenna port 575, a fourth matching circuit 546, a third antenna port 548, and a BLE antenna 550, as well as the UWB-IC 551 described above.

[0042] In at least one embodiment, the UWB551 can be the SR100T, which is a secure high definition ranging chipset manufactured by NXP Semiconductors NV, like the SN110U, which can be used as the SE542. In one embodiment, the SR100T is a fully integrated single chip Impulse Radio Ultra Wideband (IR-UWB) low energy transceiver IC compliant with IEEE 802.15.4 HRP-UWB-PHY. It is designed for secure ranging applications in mobile environments. It supports the Super High Frequency (SHF) UWB band from 6.0 GHz to 8.5 GHz for worldwide use. It has a fully coherent receiver for maximum range and accuracy as well as a programmable transmitter output power of up to 12 dBm. It integrates all relevant RF components (e.g. matching networks, baluns) and it is compliant with FCC and ETSI-UWB spectrum masks. It uses a supply voltage of 1.8V + / - 7%.

[0043] The SR100T also supports Angle of Arrival (AoA) measurement and has integrated I / Q phase and amplitude mismatch compensation. Its form factor is a 3.8mm x 3.1mm 68-pin Wafer Level Chip Scale Package (WLCSP) package with 0.35mm pitch. It includes an ARM® Cortex-M33 32-bit processor with 128kB code RAM, 129kB data RAM, 64kB ROM, and ARM® TrustZon technology and S-DMA for security. The SR100T also has a BSP32 CoolFlux SubSystem with a 200MHz clock, 32kB code RAM, and 2x16kB data RAM. The SR100T also has a first receive data link 566, a second receive data link 556, and a transmit data link 552, operating frequencies of 250 MHz, 500 MHz, and 1000 MHz, 2×4 kB of RAM for the channel estimator, and 4×32 kB of RAM for the RF data log.

[0044] As shown in Figure 5F, the UWB551 accepts an input voltage of 1V8 RF , input voltage 1V8, a first crystal oscillator (37.768kHz), a second crystal oscillator (38.4MHz), data link 537, data link 545, data link 547, transmitting data link 552, first receiving data link 566, second receiving data link 556, data link 557, and data link 565.

[0045] The UWB-IC 551 can be considered as being connected to two RF pipelines, a first RF pipeline and a second RF pipeline. The first RF pipeline includes a first RF switch 558, a first SAW bandpass filter 560, a second matching circuit 562, and a first antenna port 564. The second RF pipeline includes a second RF switch 567, a third SAW bandpass filter 569, a third matching circuit 571, and a second antenna port 574.

[0046] In the embodiment shown, the UWB-IC 551 is connected via a transmit data link 552 to a first matching circuit 553, which also connects the UWB-IC 551 to a first RF switch 558. The first matching circuit 553 is then connected via a data link 554 to a radar port 555, which corresponds to a radar interface that may be used in connection with various embodiments. UWB can be used in laser operation, thereby providing localization accuracy on the scale of tens of centimeters. Due to the possibly variable absorption and reflection of different frequencies within the pulse, both object surfaces and occluded (e.g., covered) features can be detected. In some cases, localization provides the angle of incidence in addition to the distance.

[0047] As described above, in the first RF pipeline, UWB-IC 551 is connected to first RF switch 558 via transmit data line 552. UWB-IC 551 is also connected to first RF switch 558 via second receive data link 556 and data link 557. Input voltage 1V8 RF 5, which may be a XMSSJR6G0BA manufactured by Murata Manufacturing Co., Ltd., headquartered in Kyoto, Japan. The first RF switch 558 is then connected via data link 559 to a first SAW bandpass filter 560, which is in turn connected via data link 561 to a second matching circuit 562. The second matching circuit 562 is then connected via data link 563 to a first antenna port 564, which in at least one embodiment is connected to a first external UWB antenna.

[0048] In the second RF pipeline, the UWB-IC 551 is connected to a second RF switch 567 via a data link 565 and also via a first receive data link 566. The UWB-IC 551 also receives an input voltage of 1V8 RFand ground. The second RF switch 567 may be an XMSSJR6G0BA. The second RF switch 567 is then connected via data link 568 to a second SAW bandpass filter 569 which is in turn connected via data link 570 to a third matching circuit 571. The third matching circuit 571 is then connected via data link 572 to a second antenna port 574 which in at least one embodiment is connected to a second external UWB antenna.

[0049] Any suitable number of external UWB antennas may be used in various embodiments. In embodiments where a third external UWB antenna is deployed in conjunction with the disclosed example architecture 500, a third RF pipeline is deployed to connect to the third external UWB antenna. Additionally, a switch may be implemented to allow switching between antennas for different communication packets.

[0050] 5F is a fourth matching circuit 546 connected between data link 512 and data link 547, which is further connected to a third antenna port 548. The third antenna port 548 provides an optional connection to an external BLE antenna. In the embodiment shown, the third antenna port 548 is connected via data link 549 to a BLE antenna 550, which may be a 2.4 GHz BLE antenna.

[0051] In at least one embodiment, for its RF interfaces, the UWB module of the present disclosure utilizes U.FL connectors manufactured by Hirose Electric Co., Ltd., headquartered in Tokyo, Japan. These RF interfaces include a radar port 555 that may be connected to a radar antenna, a first antenna port 564 that may be connected to a first external UWB antenna, a second antenna port 574 that may be connected to a second external UWB antenna, and a third antenna port 548 that may be connected to an (external) BLE antenna 550. U.FL connectors are miniature RF coaxial connectors for radio frequency signals commonly used in applications where space is limited. They are often used in mobile phones as well as laptop mini PCI cards. Also, cables manufactured by Hirose Electric Co., Ltd. may be used. In some embodiments, Hirose X.FL connectors are used. In addition to other differences, the X.FL connectors are rated for use at higher frequencies than the U.FL connectors.

[0052] FIG. 5G illustrates a seventh portion of an example UWB module architecture 500 according to at least one embodiment. In the illustrated embodiment, the seventh portion includes a Channel Impulse Response (CIR) debug connector 575, which is connected to the data link 547. In some embodiments, the CIR debug connector 575 is used in conjunction with the pins (of the UWB IC 551 described above in FIG. 5F) used for SPI communication to access the CIR data acquired by the UWB-IC 551. This CIR data can be used for analog debugging of ranging applications (e.g., analog performance debugging, null estimation, and / or the like). The CIR is used to find the actual first path, i.e., the actual distance between the two UWB devices (e.g., the UWB module 304 and the credential device 112). It is further noted that the maximum detectable delta between the first path and the strongest path is referred to as the dynamic range. Thus, the actual first path represents an important debugging parameter in the context of ranging applications.

[0053] FIG. 6 illustrates a block diagram of an example machine 600 on which any one or more of the techniques (e.g., methods) described herein may operate. The examples described herein may include or be operated by logic or some components or mechanisms within the machine 600. A circuit (e.g., processing circuit) is a collection of circuits implemented within the tangible entity of the machine 600 that includes hardware (e.g., simple circuits, gates, logic, etc.). Circuit membership may be flexible over time. A circuit includes members that can perform a defined operation when operating alone or in combination. In some examples, the hardware of a circuit may be designed (e.g., hardwired) in an immutable manner to perform a particular operation. In some examples, the hardware of a circuit may include physical components (e.g., execution units, transistors, simple circuits, etc.) connected in a changeable manner that includes a machine-readable medium that is physically altered to encode instructions for a particular operation (e.g., a magnetically and electrically movable arrangement of immutable mass particles, etc.). Upon connecting the physical components, the underlying electrical properties of the hardware components are changed, for example, from an insulator to a conductor, or vice versa. The instructions enable the embedded hardware (e.g., an execution unit or a loading mechanism) to create a member of a circuit in the hardware through the variable connections to perform a portion of a particular operation during operation. Thus, in some examples, the machine-readable medium element is a part of a circuit or is communicatively coupled to other components of a circuit when the device is operating. In some examples, any of the physical components can be used in multiple members of multiple circuits. For example, during operation, an execution unit can be used in a first circuit of a first circuit configuration at one time and reused by a second circuit in the first circuit configuration or a third circuit in the second circuit configuration at a different time. Further examples of these components in the context of machine 600 follow.

[0054] In some embodiments, the machine 600 can operate as a stand-alone device or can be connected (e.g., networked) to other machines. In a networked deployment, the machine 600 can operate in the capacity of a server machine, a client machine, or in both a server-client network environment. In some examples, the machine 600 can function as a peer machine in a peer-to-peer (P2P) (or other distributed) network environment. The machine 600 can be a personal computer (PC), a tablet PC, a set-top box (STB), a personal digital assistant (PDA), a mobile phone, a web appliance, a network router, switch, or bridge, or any machine capable of executing instructions (sequential or otherwise) that define operations to be performed by the machine. Moreover, although only a single machine is shown, the term "machine" should be interpreted to include any collection of machines that individually or cooperatively execute one or more sets of instructions to perform any one or more of the methods described herein, such as cloud computing, Software as a Service (SaaS), or other computer cluster configurations.

[0055] The machine (e.g., computer system) 600 may include a hardware processor 602 (e.g., a Central Processing Unit (CPU), a Graphics Processing Unit (GPU), a hardware processor core, or any combination thereof), a main memory 604, a static memory (e.g., firmware, microcode, Basic Input / Output (BIOS), Unified Extensible Firmware Interface (UEFI), etc.) 606, and mass storage 608 (e.g., hard drives, tape drives, flash storage, or other block devices), some or all of which may communicate with each other via an interlink (e.g., bus) 630. The machine 600 may further include a display unit 610, an alphanumeric input device 612 (e.g., a keyboard), and a User Interface (UI) navigation device 614 (e.g., a mouse). In some examples, the display unit 610, the input device 612, and the UI navigation device 614 may be touch screen displays. The machine 600 may further include a storage device (e.g., a drive unit) 608, a signal generating device 618 (e.g., a speaker), a network interface device 620, and one or more sensors 616, such as a Global Positioning System (GPS) sensor, a compass, an accelerometer, or other sensor. The machine 600 may include an output controller 628, such as a serial (e.g., Universal Serial Bus (USB), parallel, or other wired or wireless (e.g., InfraRed (IR), Near Field Communication (NFC), etc.) connection, to communicate with or control one or more peripheral devices (e.g., a printer, a card reader, etc.).

[0056] The registers of the processor 602, the main memory 604, the static memory 606, or the mass storage 608 may be or include a machine-readable medium 622 on which is stored one or more sets of data structures or instructions 624 (e.g., software) implemented or utilized by any one or more of the techniques or functions described herein. Also, the instructions 624 may reside, in whole or at least partially, within any of the registers of the processor 602, the main memory 604, the static memory 606, or the mass storage 608 during execution thereof by the machine 600. In some examples, one or any combination of the hardware processor 602, the main memory 604, the static memory 606, or the mass storage 608 may constitute the machine-readable medium 622. Although the machine-readable medium 622 is illustrated as a single medium, the term "machine-readable medium" may include a single medium or multiple media (e.g., a centralized database and / or associated caches and servers) configured to store one or more instructions 624.

[0057] The term "machine-readable medium" may include any medium capable of storing, encoding, or carrying instructions for execution by the machine 600 and capable of storing, encoding, or carrying data structures used by or associated with such instructions that cause the machine 600 to perform any one or more of the techniques of this disclosure. Non-limiting examples of machine-readable media may include semiconductor memory, optical media, magnetic media, and signals (e.g., radio frequency signals, other photon-based signals, acoustic signals, etc.). In some examples, a non-transitory machine-readable medium includes a machine-readable medium having a plurality of particles with a mass that is unchanging (e.g., at rest), and thus is a composition. Thus, a non-transitory machine-readable medium is a machine-readable medium that does not include a transitory propagating signal. Specific examples of non-transitory machine-readable media may include non-volatile memory such as semiconductor memory devices (e.g., Electrically Programmable Read-Only Memory (EPROM), Electrically Erasable Programmable Read-Only Memory (EEPROM), and flash memory), magnetic disks such as internal hard disks and removable disks, magneto-optical disks, and CD-ROM and DVD-RAM disks.

[0058] In some examples, information stored or otherwise provided on the machine-readable medium 622 may represent instructions 624, such as the instructions 624 themselves, or a format from which the instructions 624 may be derived. The format from which the instructions 624 may be derived may include source code, encoded instructions (e.g., in compressed or encrypted form), packaged instructions (e.g., divided into multiple packages), or the like. The information representing the instructions 624 in the machine-readable medium 622 may be processed by a processing circuit into instructions for implementing any of the operations described herein. For example, deriving the instructions 624 from information (e.g., processing by a processing circuit) may include compiling (e.g., from source code, object code, etc.), interpreting, reading, organizing (e.g., dynamic or static linking), encoding, decoding, encrypting, decrypting, packaging, unpackaging, or otherwise manipulating the information into instructions 624.

[0059] In some examples, deriving the instructions 624 may include assembling, compiling, or interpreting (e.g., by a processing circuit) information to generate the instructions 624 from some intermediate or processed format provided by the machine-readable medium 622. The information, when provided in multiple parts, may be combined, unpacked, and modified to generate the instructions 624. For example, the information may reside in multiple compressed source code packages (or object code, or binary executable code, etc.) on one or more remote servers. The source code packages may be encrypted while in transit over the network, and may be decrypted, decompressed, assembled (e.g., linked) as necessary, and compiled or interpreted (e.g., as a library, a standalone executable, etc.) on the local machine and executed by the local machine.

[0060] The instructions 624 may further be transmitted or received over a communications network 626 using a transmission medium via a network interface device 620 utilizing any of a number of transport protocols (e.g., Frame Relay, Internet protocol (IP), Transmission Control Protocol (TCP), User Datagram Protocol (UDP), HyperText Transfer Protocol (HTTP), etc.). Example communications 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, and wireless data networks (e.g., the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) 802.11 family of standards referred to as Wi-Fi®, the IEEE 802.16 family of standards referred to as WiMax®), the IEEE 802.15.4 family of standards, peer-to-peer (P2P) networks, among others. In some examples, the network interface device 620 may include one or more physical jacks (e.g., Ethernet, coaxial, or phone jacks) or one or more antennas to connect to the communications network 626. In some examples, the network interface device 620 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) techniques.The term "transmission medium" is intended to include any intangible medium capable of storing, encoding or carrying instructions for execution by machine 600, and includes digital or analog communication signals or other intangible media for enabling communication of such software. Transmission media are machine-readable media.

[0061] The above description includes references to the accompanying drawings, which form a part of the detailed description. The drawings show, for purposes of illustration, specific embodiments in which the invention may be practiced. These embodiments are also referred to herein as "examples." Such examples may include elements in addition to those shown and described. However, the inventors also contemplate examples in which only the elements shown or described are provided. Moreover, the inventors also contemplate examples (or one or more aspects thereof) that use any combination or permutation of the elements shown or described in connection with the particular example (or one or aspects thereof) or in connection with any other example (or one or more aspects thereof) shown or described herein.

[0062] The terms "a" or "an" are used herein to include one or more, as is common in patent documents, independently of any other instances or usages of "at least one" or "one or more." The term "or" is used herein to mean non-exclusive, unless otherwise noted, or "A or B" includes "A but not B," "B but not A," and "A and B." The terms "including" and "in which" are used herein as the plain English equivalents of the respective terms "comprising" and "wherein." Also, in the appended claims, the terms "including" and "comprising" are open-ended, i.e., systems, devices, articles, compositions, formulations, or processes that include elements in addition to those listed after these terms in the claims are still considered to be within the scope of the claims. Moreover, in the appended claims, the terms "first," "second," and "third," etc., are used merely as labels and are not intended to impose numerical requirements on their objects.

[0063] The above description should be construed as illustrative rather than limiting. For example, the above examples (or one or more aspects thereof) can be used in combination with each other. For example, one skilled in the art can use other embodiments upon reference to the above description. The Abstract is provided to enable the reader to quickly identify the characteristics of the technical disclosure. It should be understood that it is not used to interpret or limit the scope or meaning of the claims. Also, in the above detailed description, various features may be grouped together to streamline the disclosure. This should not be construed as intending that an unclaimed disclosed feature is essential to any claim. Rather, the subject matter of the invention may reside in less than all features of a particular disclosed embodiment. Thus, the appended claims are hereby incorporated into the detailed description as examples or embodiments, with each claim standing on its own as a separate embodiment, and it is contemplated that such embodiments can be combined with each other in various combinations or permutations. The scope of the invention should be determined with reference to the appended claims, along with the full scope of equivalents to which the claims are entitled.

Claims

1. An apparatus comprising: At least one antenna; an ultra-wideband (UWB) front-end circuit connected to said at least one antenna for enabling UWB communications with a credential device; a controller connected to the UWB front-end circuit and configured to perform ranging for the credential device using the UWB communication; a wired communications link configured to interface with a reader of an access control system; and a housing separate from the reader housing, the device housing housing containing the at least one antenna, the UWB front-end circuitry, and the controller.

2. An apparatus comprising: At least one antenna; an ultra-wideband (UWB) front-end circuit connected to said at least one antenna for enabling UWB communications with a credential device; a controller connected to the UWB front-end circuit and configured to perform ranging for the credential device using the UWB communication; a wireless communication link configured to interface with a reader of an access control system, wherein the controller is configured to communicate with the reader via the wireless communication link using near field communication (NFC); and a housing separate from the reader housing, the device housing housing containing the at least one antenna, the UWB front-end circuitry, and the controller.

3. An apparatus comprising: At least one antenna; an ultra-wideband (UWB) front-end circuit connected to said at least one antenna for enabling UWB communications with a credential device; a controller connected to the UWB front-end circuit and configured to perform ranging for the credential device using the UWB communication; a communication link configured to interface with a reader of an access control system, the communication link configured to connect to an expansion port or expansion slot of the reader; and a housing separate from the reader housing, the device housing housing containing the at least one antenna, the UWB front-end circuitry, and the controller.

4. An apparatus comprising: At least one antenna; an ultra-wideband (UWB) front-end circuit connected to said at least one antenna for enabling UWB communications with a credential device; a controller connected to the UWB front-end circuit and configured to perform ranging for the credential device using the UWB communication; a communications link configured to interface with a reader of an access control system; a housing separate from the reader housing, the device housing housing containing the at least one antenna, the UWB front-end circuitry, and the controller; The apparatus, wherein the controller and the UWB front-end circuitry receive power from the reader.

5. The apparatus of claim 4 , wherein the communication link is a wireless communication link.

6. The apparatus of claim 5 , wherein the controller is configured to communicate with the reader over the wireless communication link using Bluetooth® low energy.

7. The apparatus of claim 5 , wherein the controller is configured to communicate with the reader over the wireless communication link using Near Field Communication (NFC).

8. 4. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising a local power supply contained within a housing of the apparatus and configured to provide power to the controller and the UWB front-end circuitry.

9. 4. A device according to claim 1, wherein the controller and the UWB front-end circuitry are powered by a power source external to the housing of the device.

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