Touchless Elevator Access via Mobile Location Verification
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Solution Overview
Problem
In public spaces, existing elevator systems require user registration, which is impractical for occasional or one-time visitors and does not facilitate touch-free interactions, increasing the risk of disease transmission through shared surfaces.
Innovation Solution
A system that allows temporary access to elevators using a mobile device's elevator call application, validated through two-factor authentication involving location verification and a touchless token, eliminating the need for prior user registration and enabling touchless elevator calls.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If user registration is required for elevator access, then security and access control are improved, but ease of operation deteriorates for occasional visitors
Solution Approach 1:
A location verification service acts as an intermediary between the user's mobile device and the elevator control system. The service validates the user's location through GPS coordinates and issues a temporary access token, eliminating the need for direct user registration while maintaining security through location-based verification
2Ease of operation
If physical call panels are used, then ease of operation is improved, but health risk increases due to disease transmission through touched surfaces
Solution Approach 1:
The mechanical physical call panel system is replaced with a mobile application-based interface. Users interact with the elevator system through their mobile devices via wireless communication (WiFi, Bluetooth, or cellular networks), eliminating the need for physical contact with shared surfaces while maintaining ease of operation through touchscreen or voice interfaces
3Reliability
If temporary access validation is implemented, then security is improved for public spaces, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs self-service by automatically validating user location through GPS coordinates and generating temporary access tokens without requiring manual intervention from security personnel or registration from users. The mobile application automatically handles token generation, validation, and expiration, reducing the perceived complexity for end users
Data Source
AI summary
In methods and a system for enabling temporary interaction between a user device of a passenger and an elevator or an elevator group provided for public use in a public space, a database is maintained that includes information on at least one elevator or elevator group available for public use. A user device sends a request message that includes validation information. The request message is validated by verifying that the unique identification of the elevator or elevator group in said validation information is among said at least one elevator or elevator group available for public and that geographical locations of the user device and the elevator or elevator group fulfill a predefined proximity criterion. If the request message is deemed valid, temporary access is granted to an elevator application running on the user device for entering at least one call for elevator service via an elevator call API.