Access control method, and associated lock device and administration server

A lock device for use in an access control system which involves a plurality of lock devices, a plurality of key devices, each key device having a key device identifier, and an administration server having an associated system database which defines the conditions under which individual ones of the key devices may be granted access to protected environments by individual ones of the lock devices, the lock device comprising:

• a transceiver for short-range wireless communication with a key device among said plurality of key devices;
• a memory;
• and
• a processing unit, the processing unit being configured for:
• detecting the key device identifier of said key device during the short-range wireless communication with the key device;
• generating a challenge code to be stored in said memory;
• generating a challenge based on said challenge code;
• causing said transceiver to send the generated challenge to said key device;
• receiving, via said transceiver, a challenge response from the key device, wherein the challenge response originates from the administration server;
• verifying the received challenge response based on the challenge code in said memory and on the detected key device identifier of said key device;
• and
• determining whether conditional access may be given to the key device based on an output from said means for verifying.

An administration server for use in an access control system which furthermore includes a plurality of lock devices and a plurality of key devices, each key device having a key device identifier, the administration server having a system database associated therewith, wherein the system database defines the conditions under which individual ones of the key devices may be granted access to protected environments by individual ones of the lock devices, and the administration server being configured for:

• receiving a challenge from a key device among said plurality of key devices over a communication network, wherein the challenge originates from a lock device, among said plurality of lock devices, to which the key device has sought access;
• retrieving a copy of the key device identifier of said key device by searching the system database using information received from the key device;
• deriving a challenge code from the received challenge;
• generating a challenge response based on the derived challenge code and the retrieved copy of the key device identifier;
• and
• sending the generated challenge response to said key device over said communication network.

An access control system which comprises a plurality of lock devices, a plurality of key devices, each key device having a key device identifier, and an administration server having an associated system database which defines the conditions under which individual ones of the key devices may be granted access to protected environments by individual ones of the lock devices, wherein each lock device comprises:

• a transceiver for short-range wireless communication with a key device among said plurality of key devices;
• a memory;
• and
• a processing unit, the processing unit being configured for:
• detecting the key device identifier of said key device during the short-range wireless communication with the key device;
• generating a challenge code to be stored in said memory;
• generating a challenge based on said challenge code;
• causing said transceiver to send the generated challenge to said key device;
• receiving, via said transceiver, a challenge response from the key device, wherein the challenge response originates from the administration server;
• verifying the received challenge response based on the challenge code in said memory and on the detected key device identifier of said key device;
• and
• determining whether conditional access may be given to the key device based on an output from said means for verifying.