Mobile Visitor Access Control for Residential Group Entry Approval
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing building access control systems require manual intervention by supervisors to grant visitors access to elevators and doors, leading to inefficiencies when visitors arrive, as described in US2017/0034689, WO2016/137547, and US2015/0194000, which do not effectively enable mobile device-based access control within the building.
Innovation Solution
A method and system that allows residents to grant access to visitors through a mobile interface, where visitor access requests are transmitted to resident and manager devices, with automatic creation of residential groups based on location, enabling access to specific elevators, doors, and floors, and includes features like proximity detection and notification upon access grant or denial.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If manual supervision by building supervisor is used to control visitor access, then security control is maintained, but operational efficiency and response time deteriorate when visitors arrive
Solution Approach 1:
The system enables self-service access control where visitors independently request access through mobile devices and receive automated approval workflows. The building supervisor no longer needs to manually intervene for each access request, as the system automatically manages the approval process through predefined rules and mobile device notifications, significantly improving processing efficiency while maintaining security.
Solution Approach 2:
The system performs preliminary actions by pre-configuring access rules, residential groups, and approval workflows before visitor arrivals. Mobile devices are pre-linked to specific residential groups and access permissions, so when a visitor requests access, the system can quickly match and process the request against pre-established criteria, eliminating the need for real-time manual supervision.
2Ease of operation
If mobile device-based access control is implemented, then convenience and response time improve, but system complexity and security management challenges increase
Solution Approach 1:
The system uses universal mobile devices (smartphones, tablets) that residents and visitors already possess, eliminating the need for specialized access control hardware. The mobile device serves multiple functions: identification, communication for access requests, notification delivery, and authentication, simplifying the user experience while reducing the need for additional complex access control infrastructure.
Solution Approach 2:
The system introduces a communication network as an intermediary between mobile devices and building access control systems. This intermediary layer handles the complexity of device integration, authentication protocols, and data transmission, allowing mobile devices to interact with the building system through standardized communication channels without requiring direct complex integrations.
3Measurement precision
If automatic residential group creation based on location is implemented, then access control accuracy improves, but location tracking and data processing requirements increase
Solution Approach 1:
The system implements local quality by creating specific residential groups based on precise location data and assigning them location-specific access permissions. Each residential group is tailored to its geographic context (specific building, floor, or zone), allowing the system to grant access only to appropriate areas based on the visitor's intended destination and the resident's location, improving access control accuracy while processing only relevant location data.
Data Source
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AI summary
A method of controlling access to a building (202) is provided. The method comprising: receiving a visitor access request for a visitor mobile device (208b); determining a residential group (326) assigned to the visitor mobile device (208b), the residential group (326) including at least one residential mobile device (208a); transmitting the visitor access request to at least one of a resident mobile device (208a) within the residential group (326) and a manager device (208c); receiving an access grant from at least one of the resident mobile device (208a) within the residential group (326) and the manager device (208c); and granting a visitor mobile device (208b) access to at least one of a selected elevator car (204-1), a selected door (205-1, 205-2), and a selected floor (208a-208f).