# US 2018/0322718 A1 · Authorization method, apparatus, and system applied to electronic lock

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- Number: US 2018/0322718 A1
- Document ID: US20180322718A1
- Status: Published application
- Kind: A1
- Application number: 16/030,745
- Filed: 2018-07-09
- Published: 2018-11-08
- Earliest claimed: 2016-02-17
- Assignees: Tencent Technology (Shenzhen) Company Limited
- Applicants: Tencent Technology (Shenzhen) Company Limited
- Inventors: Kai QIAN; Chenbin FU; Xin YANG; Ye FANG; Chaohui DING
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20180322718A1

## CPC

- G07C 9/27: with central registration
- G07C 9/00: Individual registration on entry or exit
- G07C 9/00309: {operated with bidirectional data transmission between data carrier and locks}
- G07C 9/00563: {using personal physical data of the operator, e.g. finger prints, retinal images, voicepatterns}
- G07C 9/00571: {operated by interacting with a central unit}
- H04L 51/04: Real-time or near real-time messaging, e.g. instant messaging [IM]
- H04L 51/18: Commands or executable codes
- G07C 2009/00428: {periodically after a time period}
- G07C 2209/08: With time considerations, e.g. temporary activation, valid time window or time limitations
- 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
- H04L: TRANSMISSION OF DIGITAL INFORMATION, e.g. TELEGRAPHIC COMMUNICATION (arrangements common to telegraphic and telephonic communication H04M)

## Abstract

Embodiments of the present disclosure disclose an authorization method and an apparatus applied to an electronic lock. The method performed at a server hosting an instant messaging application includes: receiving an authorization request sent by a first instant messaging client at a first terminal, and the authorization request being used for requesting to grant use permission on the electronic lock to a second account; querying for, according to the authorization request, key information bound to the second account; and sending the key information to the electronic lock, the electronic lock being configured to add the key information into a trusted key information store. Moreover, the instant messaging application at the server can also be involved to further enhancing the authenticity of a person who tries to unlock the electronic lock based on the location of a terminal used by the person for accessing the instant messaging application.

## Claims

### Claim 1

An authorization method applied to an electronic lock performed at a computer server having one or more processors and memory storing instructions to be executed by the one or more processors, comprising:
receiving an authorization request sent by a first instant messaging client at a first terminal, a first account being logged into the first instant messaging client, and the authorization request being used for requesting to grant use permission on the electronic lock to a second account;
querying for, according to the authorization request, key information bound to the second account; and
sending the key information to the electronic lock, the electronic lock being configured to add the key information into a trusted key information store.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The method according to claim 1, wherein before the querying for, according to the authorization request, key information bound to the second account, the method further comprises:
detecting whether the first account has management permission on the electronic lock; and
performing, when the first account has the management permission on the electronic lock, the step of querying for, according to the authorization request, key information bound to the second account.

### Claim 3 (depends on 1)

The method according to claim 1, wherein before the querying for, according to the authorization request, key information bound to the second account, the method further comprises:
detecting whether the second account and the first account satisfy a predetermined relationship; and
performing, when the second account and the first account satisfy the predetermined relationship, the step of querying for, according to the authorization request, key information bound to the second account,
the predetermined relationship comprising at least one of the following relationships:
the second account belongs to a friendship chain of the first account;
a degree of friendship closeness between the second account and the first account is greater than a preset threshold;
a nickname of the second account belongs to a nickname set of relatives; and
the second account and the first account belong to a specified group.

### Claim 4 (depends on 1)

The method according to claim 1, wherein the sending the key information to the electronic lock comprises:
querying for a gateway device corresponding to the electronic lock; and
sending the key information to the electronic lock by using the gateway device.

### Claim 5 (depends on 1)

The method according to claim 1, wherein the authorization request further comprises a time control policy corresponding to the use permission, and the time control policy is used for instructing to enable the use permission in at least one time period; and
the method further comprises:
sending the time control policy to the electronic lock, the electronic lock being configured to associatively store the time control policy and the key information.

### Claim 6 (depends on 1)

The method according to claim 1, wherein before the querying key information bound to the second instant messaging client, the method further comprises:
receiving a binding request sent by a second instant messaging client at a second terminal, the second account being logged into the second instant messaging client, and the binding request comprising the key information; and
establishing a binding relationship between the second account and the key information,
the key information comprising: password information, and/or fingerprint information, and/or pupil distance information, and/or iris information, and/or face information, and/or palm print information, and/or gait information, and/or heart rate information, and/or pulse information.

### Claim 7 (depends on 1)

The method according to claim 1, wherein before the querying key information bound to the second instant messaging client, the method further comprises:
receiving a binding request sent by the first instant messaging client, the binding request comprising a lock identifier of the electronic lock; and
establishing a binding relationship between the first account and the lock identifier.

### Claim 8 (depends on 1)

The method according to claim 1, further comprising:
receiving a verification request sent by the electronic lock, the verification request including a user account logged into an instant messaging client associated with the electronic lock and key information;
identifying one or more user accounts that have been granted user permission to the electronic lock according to the user account logged into an instant messaging client associated with the electronic lock and their associated key information; and
returning a verification response to the electronic lock based on a comparison of the key information in the verification request and the key information associated with the identified one or more user accounts, wherein the electronic lock is configured to perform in accordance with the verification response.

### Claim 9 (depends on 8)

The method according to claim 8, wherein the comparison of the key information in the verification request and the key information associated with the identified one or more user accounts further comprises:
determining a second account logged into a second instant messaging client at a second terminal according to the key information in the verification request;
determining a current location of the second terminal; and
denying the verification request in accordance with a determination that the current location of the second terminal is outside a predefined region of the electronic lock.

### Claim 10

A computer server comprising:
one or more processors;
memory; and
a plurality of instructions stored in the memory that, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the computer server to perform the following operations:
receiving an authorization request sent by a first instant messaging client at a first terminal, a first account being logged into the first instant messaging client, and the authorization request being used for requesting to grant use permission on the electronic lock to a second account;
querying for, according to the authorization request, key information bound to the second account; and
sending the key information to the electronic lock, the electronic lock being configured to add the key information into a trusted key information store.

### Claim 11 (depends on 10)

The computer server according to claim 10, wherein before the querying for, according to the authorization request, key information bound to the second account, the operations further comprise:
detecting whether the first account has management permission on the electronic lock; and
performing, when the first account has the management permission on the electronic lock, the step of querying for, according to the authorization request, key information bound to the second account.

### Claim 12 (depends on 10)

The computer server according to claim 10, wherein before the querying for, according to the authorization request, key information bound to the second account, the operations further comprise:
detecting whether the second account and the first account satisfy a predetermined relationship; and
performing, when the second account and the first account satisfy the predetermined relationship, the step of querying for, according to the authorization request, key information bound to the second account,
the predetermined relationship comprising at least one of the following relationships:
the second account belongs to a friendship chain of the first account;
a degree of friendship closeness between the second account and the first account is greater than a preset threshold;
a nickname of the second account belongs to a nickname set of relatives; and
the second account and the first account belong to a specified group.

### Claim 13 (depends on 10)

The computer server according to claim 10, wherein the sending the key information to the electronic lock comprises:
querying for a gateway device corresponding to the electronic lock; and
sending the key information to the electronic lock by using the gateway device.

### Claim 14 (depends on 10)

The computer server according to claim 10, wherein the authorization request further comprises a time control policy corresponding to the use permission, and the time control policy is used for instructing to enable the use permission in at least one time period; and the operations further comprise:
sending the time control policy to the electronic lock, the electronic lock being configured to associatively store the time control policy and the key information.

### Claim 15 (depends on 10)

The computer server according to claim 10, wherein before the querying key information bound to the second instant messaging client, the operations further comprise:
receiving a binding request sent by a second instant messaging client at a second terminal, the second account being logged into the second instant messaging client, and the binding request comprising the key information; and
establishing a binding relationship between the second account and the key information,
the key information comprising: password information, and/or fingerprint information, and/or pupil distance information, and/or iris information, and/or face information, and/or palm print information, and/or gait information, and/or heart rate information, and/or pulse information.

### Claim 16 (depends on 10)

The computer server according to claim 10, wherein before the querying key information bound to the second instant messaging client, the operations further comprise:
receiving a binding request sent by the first instant messaging client, the binding request comprising a lock identifier of the electronic lock; and
establishing a binding relationship between the first account and the lock identifier.

### Claim 17 (depends on 10)

The computer server according to claim 10, wherein the operations further comprise:
receiving a verification request sent by the electronic lock, the verification request including a user account logged into an instant messaging client associated with the electronic lock and key information;
identifying one or more user accounts that have been granted user permission to the electronic lock according to the user account logged into an instant messaging client associated with the electronic lock and their associated key information; and
returning a verification response to the electronic lock based on a comparison of the key information in the verification request and the key information associated with the identified one or more user accounts, wherein the electronic lock is configured to perform in accordance with the verification response.

### Claim 18 (depends on 17)

The computer server according to claim 17, wherein the comparison of the key information in the verification request and the key information associated with the identified one or more user accounts further comprises:
determining a second account logged into a second instant messaging client at a second terminal according to the key information in the verification request;
determining a current location of the second terminal; and
denying the verification request in accordance with a determination that the current location of the second terminal is outside a predefined region of the electronic lock.

### Claim 19

A non-transitory computer readable storage medium storing a plurality of instructions configured for execution by a computer server having one or more processors, the plurality of instructions causing the computer server to perform the following operations:
receiving an authorization request sent by a first instant messaging client at a first terminal, a first account being logged into the first instant messaging client, and the authorization request being used for requesting to grant use permission on the electronic lock to a second account;
querying for, according to the authorization request, key information bound to the second account; and
sending the key information to the electronic lock, the electronic lock being configured to add the key information into a trusted key information store.

### Claim 20 (depends on 19)

The non-transitory computer readable storage medium according to claim 19, wherein the operations further comprise:
receiving a verification request sent by the electronic lock, the verification request including a user account logged into an instant messaging client associated with the electronic lock and key information;
identifying one or more user accounts that have been granted user permission to the electronic lock according to the user account logged into an instant messaging client associated with the electronic lock and their associated key information; and
returning a verification response to the electronic lock based on a comparison of the key information in the verification request and the key information associated with the identified one or more user accounts, wherein the electronic lock is configured to perform in accordance with the verification response.