# US 10,320,447 B2 · Secondary short-range wireless assist for wireless-based access control > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 10,320,447 B2 - Document ID: US10320447B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 15/909,300 - Filed: 2018-03-01 - Published: 2018-07-05 - Granted: 2019-06-11 - Earliest claimed: 2013-09-20 - Assignees: AT&T Intellectual Property I, L.P. - Applicants: AT&T Intellectual Property I, L.P. - Inventors: Mike Horton - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US10320447B2 ## CPC - H04B 5/77: for interrogation - H04B 5/20: characterised by the transmission technique; characterised by the transmission medium - G07C 2009/00388: {code verification carried out according to the challenge/response method} - G07C 2009/00769: {with data transmission performed by wireless means} - G07C 2209/63: Comprising locating means for detecting the position of the data carrier, i.e. within the vehicle or within a certain distance from the vehicle - H04B 5/79: for data transfer in combination with power transfer - H04B: TRANSMISSION - G07C: TIME OR ATTENDANCE REGISTERS; REGISTERING OR INDICATING THE WORKING OF MACHINES; GENERATING RANDOM NUMBERS; VOTING OR LOTTERY APPARATUS; ARRANGEMENTS, SYSTEMS OR APPARATUS FOR CHECKING NOT PROVIDED FOR ELSEWHERE ## Abstract Concepts and technologies disclosed herein are directed to secondary short-range wireless assist for wireless-based access control. According to one aspect, a method can include receiving, at an access control system, a first identifier via a near-field communications (“NFC”) reader associated with an entryway to an area. The NFC reader can receive the first identifier from an NFC component of a mobile device. The method can include receiving, at the access control system, a second identifier via a wireless transceiver associated with the area. The wireless transceiver associated with the area can receive the second identifier from a wireless communication component of the mobile device after the mobile device has entered the area through the entryway. The method can also include determining, by the access control system, that the first identifier and the second identifier constitute an authentication pair that identifies the mobile device as being authenticated to access the area. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A method comprising: receiving, by an access control system comprising a processor, from a device associated with an entryway that provides access to an area, a first identifier received by the device from a first mobile device associated with a first user; determining, by the access control system, based on the first identifier, whether the first user is allowed to physically access the area; in response to determining that the first user is allowed to physically access the area, causing, by the access control system, the entryway to be traversable by the first user to allow the first user and the first mobile device associated with the first user entry to the area through the entryway to physically access the area; and after the first user and the first mobile device have entered the area through the entryway, causing, by the access control system, a wireless transceiver located within the area to send a wireless component activation signal, wherein the wireless component activation signal causes a wireless communication component of the first mobile device associated with the first user to activate so as to respond to any requests from the wireless transceiver and further causes a wireless communication component of a second mobile device associated with a second user to activate so as to respond to any requests from the wireless transceiver, receiving, by the access control system, from the wireless transceiver located within the area, a second identifier and a third identifier, wherein the second identifier is received by the wireless transceiver from the wireless communication component of the first mobile device associated with the first user in response to the wireless transceiver broadcasting a request for an additional identifier after the first mobile device has entered the area through the entryway, and wherein the third identifier is received by the wireless transceiver from the wireless communication component of the second mobile device associated with the second user in response to the wireless transceiver broadcasting the request for an additional identifier, determining, by the access control system, that the first identifier received by the device associated with the entryway from the first mobile device associated with the first user and the second identifier received by the wireless transceiver from the wireless communication component of the first mobile device associated with the first user constitute a first authentication pair, wherein the first authentication pair identifies the first user of the first mobile device as being authenticated to access the area, determining, by the access control system, that a corresponding identifier from the second mobile device associated with the second user, which along with the third identifier received by the wireless transceiver from the wireless communication component of the second mobile device associated with the second user constitute a second authentication pair, was not received from the device associated with the entryway, and in response to determining that a corresponding identifier from the second mobile device associated with the second user was not received from the device associated with the entryway, flagging, by the access control system, the second user and the second mobile device. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the device associated with the entryway comprises a near field communication reader. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein flagging the second user and the second mobile device comprises storing, in a user database, a flag in association with the second user. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein causing the wireless transceiver located within the area to send the wireless component activation signal is triggered by output received from a sensor located within the area. ### Claim 5 (depends on 4) The method of claim 4, wherein the sensor comprises a camera. ### Claim 6 (depends on 4) The method of claim 4, wherein the sensor comprises a proximity sensor. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the first authentication pair is stored in a user database in association with the first user. ### Claim 8 An access control system comprising: a processor; and a memory that stores computer-readable instructions that, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to perform operations comprising receiving, from a device associated with an entryway that provides access to an area, a first identifier received by the device from a first mobile device associated with a first user, determining, based on the first identifier, whether the first user is allowed to physically access the area, in response to determining that the first user is allowed to physically access the area, causing the entryway to be traversable by the first user to allow the first user and the first mobile device associated with the first user entry to the area through the entryway to physically access the area, and after the first user and the first mobile device have entered the area through the entryway, causing a wireless transceiver located within the area to send a wireless component activation signal, wherein the wireless component activation signal causes a wireless communication component of the first mobile device associated with the first user to activate so as to respond to any requests from the wireless transceiver and further causes a wireless communication component of a second mobile device associated with a second user to activate so as to respond to any requests from the wireless transceiver, receiving, from the wireless transceiver located within the area, a second identifier and a third identifier, wherein the second identifier is received by the wireless transceiver from the wireless communication component of the first mobile device associated with the first user in response to the wireless transceiver broadcasting a request for an additional identifier after the first mobile device has entered the area through the entryway, and wherein the third identifier is received by the wireless transceiver from the wireless communication component of the second mobile device associated with the second user in response to the wireless transceiver broadcasting the request for an additional identifier, determining that the first identifier received by the device associated with the entryway from the first mobile device associated with the first user and the second identifier received by the wireless transceiver from the wireless communication component of the first mobile device associated with the first user constitute a first authentication pair, wherein the first authentication pair identifies the first user of the first mobile device as being authenticated to access the area, determining that a corresponding identifier from the second mobile device associated with the second user, which along with the third identifier received by the wireless transceiver from the wireless communication component of the second mobile device associated with the second user constitute a second authentication pair, was not received from the device associated with the entryway, and in response to determining that a corresponding identifier from the second mobile device associated with the second user was not received from the device associated with the entryway, flagging the second user and the second mobile device. ### Claim 9 (depends on 8) The access control system of claim 8, wherein the device associated with the entryway comprises a near field communication reader. ### Claim 10 (depends on 8) The access control system of claim 8, wherein flagging the second user and the second mobile device comprises storing, in a user database, a flag in association with the second user. ### Claim 11 (depends on 8) The access control system of claim 8, wherein causing the wireless transceiver located within the area to send the wireless component activation signal is triggered by output received from a sensor located within the area. ### Claim 12 (depends on 11) The access control system of claim 11, wherein the sensor comprises a camera. ### Claim 13 (depends on 11) The access control system of claim 11, wherein the sensor comprises a proximity sensor. ### Claim 14 (depends on 8) The access control system of claim 8, wherein the first authentication pair is stored in a user database in association with the first user. ### Claim 15 A computer-readable storage medium having instructions stored thereon that, when executed by a processor of an access control system, cause the access control system to perform operations comprising: receiving, from a device associated with an entryway that provides access to an area, a first identifier received by the device from a first mobile device associated with a first user; determining, based on the first identifier, whether the first user is allowed to physically access the area; in response to determining that the first user is allowed to physically access the area, causing the entryway to be traversable by the first user to allow the first user and the first mobile device associated with the first user entry to the area through the entryway to physically access the area; and after the first user and the first mobile device have entered the area through the entryway, causing a wireless transceiver located within the area to send a wireless component activation signal, wherein the wireless component activation signal causes a wireless communication component of the first mobile device associated with the first user to activate so as to respond to any requests from the wireless transceiver and further causes a wireless communication component of a second mobile device associated with a second user to activate so as to respond to any requests from the wireless transceiver, receiving, from the wireless transceiver located within the area, a second identifier and a third identifier, wherein the second identifier is received by the wireless transceiver from the wireless communication component of the first mobile device associated with the first user in response to the wireless transceiver broadcasting a request for an additional identifier after the first mobile device has entered the area through the entryway, and wherein the third identifier is received by the wireless transceiver from the wireless communication component of the second mobile device associated with the second user in response to the wireless transceiver broadcasting the request for an additional identifier, determining that the first identifier received by the device associated with the entryway from the first mobile device associated with the first user and the second identifier received by the wireless transceiver from the wireless communication component of the first mobile device associated with the first user constitute a first authentication pair, wherein the first authentication pair identifies the first user of the first mobile device as being authenticated to access the area, determining that a corresponding identifier from the second mobile device associated with the second user, which along with the third identifier received by the wireless transceiver from the wireless communication component of the second mobile device associated with the second user constitute a second authentication pair, was not received from the device associated with the entryway, and in response to determining that a corresponding identifier from the second mobile device associated with the second user was not received from the device associated with the entryway, flagging the second user and the second mobile device. ### Claim 16 (depends on 15) The computer-readable storage medium of claim 15, wherein the device associated with the entryway comprises a near field communication reader. ### Claim 17 (depends on 15) The computer-readable storage medium of claim 15, wherein flagging the second user and the second mobile device comprises storing, in a user database, a flag in association with the second user. ### Claim 18 (depends on 15) The computer-readable storage medium of claim 15, wherein causing the wireless transceiver located within the area to send the wireless component activation signal is triggered by output received from a sensor located within the area. ### Claim 19 (depends on 18) The computer-readable storage medium of claim 18, wherein the sensor comprises one of a camera or a proximity sensor. ### Claim 20 (depends on 15) The computer-readable storage medium of claim 15, wherein the first authentication pair is stored in a user database in association with the first user.