Hands-free fare gate operation

An access gate that controls access to a restricted area, the access gate comprising:

• a communications interface comprising:
• a long range wireless beacon;
• and
• a short range radio frequency assembly comprising a first short range radio frequency beacon and a second short range radio frequency beacon;
• a movable physical barrier;
• a processing unit;
• and
• a memory having instructions stored thereon that when executed cause the processing unit to:
• detect, using the long range wireless beacon, the presence of a mobile device;
• receive, using the long range wireless beacon, an access credential from the mobile device;
• validate the access credential;
• detect, using the short range radio frequency assembly, the presence of the mobile device;
• determine a signal strength of each at the first short range radio frequency beacon and the second short range radio frequency beacon;
• determine, using the short range radio frequency assembly, that the mobile device is within a threshold distance of the access gate based on the determined signal strength at each of the first short range radio frequency beacon and the second short range radio frequency beacon;
• and
• manipulate the movable physical barrier to allow access to a user of the mobile device based on the determination that the mobile device is within the threshold distance of the access gate.

A method for controlling access to a restricted area, the method comprising:

• detecting the presence of a mobile device using a long range wireless beacon;
• receiving an access credential from the mobile device using the long range wireless beacon;
• validating the access credential at an access control device;
• determining a signal strength at each of a first short range radio frequency beacon and a second short range radio frequency beacon of the access control device;
• determining that the mobile device is within a threshold distance of the access control device using the first short range radio frequency beacon and the second short range radio frequency beacon of the access control device based on the determined signal strength of each of the first short range radio frequency beacon and the second short range radio frequency beacon;
• and
• manipulating a movable physical barrier of the access control device to allow access to a user of the mobile device based on the determination that the mobile device is within the threshold distance of the access control device.