Electronic Badge Facility Access via BLE Beacons
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current credentialing systems for facility access are burdensome, costly, and prone to errors due to outdated technology, reliance on GPS for location verification, and the need for physical badges that can be lost or compromised.
Innovation Solution
A system utilizing BLE beacons and electronic identification badges (eBadges) that communicate via Bluetooth Low Energy, allowing for secure, contactless, and real-time monitoring of vendor access, including check-in and check-out processes, and enabling administrators to control, monitor, and report on facility ingress and egress.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If traditional physical badges with bar codes are used for vendor credentialing, then vendors can be identified and accessed at facilities, but the system becomes prone to errors, loss of badges, and compromise of security
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces physical badges with electronic badges that contain digital copies of vendor information and credentials. The electronic badge stores a unique identifier and credential data that can be read wirelessly, eliminating the need for physical plastic badges that can be lost or stolen while maintaining the same identification function.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent substitutes the mechanical scanning system (physical badges with bar codes requiring optical scanners) with a wireless electronic communication system. The electronic badge uses wireless transmitters to communicate with readers, replacing the mechanical scanning process with electromagnetic field-based identification, thereby improving reliability and eliminating physical badge vulnerabilities.
2Reliability
If manual credentialing processes are used at facility entrances, then vendors can be screened according to facility protocols, but the process creates burden on personnel, causes front-office congestion, and increases operational costs
Solution Approach 1:
The patent enables self-service credentialing where vendors present their electronic badges automatically at entry points. The system automatically reads the badge, verifies credentials against facility protocols, and grants or denies access without requiring manual intervention from personnel, thereby eliminating congestion and reducing operational burden while maintaining accurate credential verification.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent performs credential verification before the vendor actually enters the facility. The electronic badge contains pre-verified credential information that is checked in advance by the access control system, allowing the facility to ensure vendor eligibility before granting physical access, thereby improving both accuracy and efficiency.
3Reliability
If GPS-based location verification is used for vendor access control, then facility access can be controlled, but the system becomes outdated and prone to errors
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces GPS-based location verification with a wireless communication system using electronic badges and readers. Instead of relying on satellite positioning technology that can be inaccurate and outdated, the system uses direct wireless communication to verify vendor location and credentials at specific access points, providing more accurate and reliable location verification.
4Ease of operation
If third-party credentialing providers are used, then credentialing can be performed off-site, but the system requires additional infrastructure and may not provide real-time monitoring capabilities
Solution Approach 1:
The patent creates a universal electronic badge system that serves multiple functions: it stores vendor credentials for off-site verification, enables automatic access control at facility entrances, and provides real-time location tracking and monitoring. The same electronic badge infrastructure handles all these functions, eliminating the need for separate systems and enabling both off-site credentialing and real-time monitoring simultaneously.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The system provides a more efficient, secure, and cost-effective method for managing facility access by reducing the need for physical infrastructure, minimizing errors, and enhancing real-time monitoring and reporting capabilities.
Implementation Method 1
A system utilizing BLE beacons and electronic identification badges (eBadges) that communicate via Bluetooth Low Energy
Data Source
AI summary
A credentialing method and apparatus for facility access. The apparatus can include a system that includes one or more BLE beacons located within proximity to a facility, where one or more of the beacons identifies a location or other information unique to its proximity to the facility. The apparatus can further include an eBadge used by a person seeking access to the facility. The eBadge can also in some embodiments be a BLE beacon. Interaction between the one or more BLE beacons, a credentialing provider's app operating on the person's mobile device, and the person's eBadge operate in the system to perform a method of controlled access to the facility. In some embodiments, administrators with access to the credentialing provider's app also can control, monitor, report, and observe details concerning such facility access.