Digital Reservation Certificates for Offline Smart Lock Access
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current systems lack an efficient method for reserving and accessing hotel rooms or rented homes through a web-based platform that can seamlessly transfer digital tokens or certificates to cellular devices for authorization of access devices like locks.
Innovation Solution
A system that allows reservation and activation of access devices via a website, where a digital token or certificate is sent to a cellular telephone or smartphone, which then communicates with the access device using short-range wireless technologies like Bluetooth, enabling secure access and charging parameters.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If a web-based reservation system is implemented, then ease of operation is improved, but device complexity increases due to integration requirements between web platform, mobile device, and access control system
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces a digital certificate as an intermediary element that mediates between the web-based reservation system and the access control system. The certificate contains encoded access parameters and serves as a portable authentication token that bridges the reservation platform and the physical access device, eliminating the need for complex direct integration between these systems.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent extracts the authentication and access control logic from the centralized web system and embeds it within the digital certificate transferred to the mobile device. This allows the access control functionality to operate independently using locally stored certificate data, reducing the complexity of continuous network communication between the web platform and access control system.
2Reliability
If digital certificates are transferred to mobile devices for offline access, then reliability is improved by enabling access without continuous network connectivity, but security risks increase due to potential certificate theft or unauthorized copying
Solution Approach 1:
The patent employs cryptographic parameter transformations including public-key encryption, digital signatures, and hash functions to secure the certificate data. The certificate contains encrypted access parameters and digital signatures that verify authenticity without revealing the underlying access credentials, making unauthorized copying or modification computationally infeasible.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent creates a secure digital copy of the access credentials in the form of a certificate that can be transferred to the mobile device. This digital copy is protected by cryptographic mechanisms including encryption and digital signatures, allowing the credentials to be replicated and transferred without compromising security, unlike physical keys that can be duplicated more easily.
3Ease of operation
If short-range wireless communication is used for certificate transfer, then ease of operation is improved by enabling simple device-to-device communication, but loss of information may occur due to communication errors or interference
Solution Approach 1:
The patent incorporates error detection and correction mechanisms within the certificate structure and communication protocol. Checksum fields, redundancy bits, and verification algorithms are built into the certificate format to detect and correct transmission errors, providing a buffer against communication failures without requiring retransmission.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent implements a feedback mechanism where the receiving device verifies the integrity of the transferred certificate using embedded checksums and digital signatures. If verification fails, the system requests retransmission, ensuring accurate data transfer despite potential wireless communication errors or interference.
Data Source
AI summary
An access device is provided for use in an access control system. The access device includes a processor having control of a door lock, and a communication module connected to the processor. The processor is able to receive a reservation certificate presented by a portable terminal through the communication module. The processor activates the door lock when the current reservation certificate has been presented and disables an alarm system when the current reservation certificate has been presented.