Controlling access to digital key

An apparatus comprising:

• a short-range wireless communication interface;
• a secure element programmed with a digital key operable through the short-range wireless communication interface to provide access to an external secure system;
• a battery;
• a user interface to engage in authentication of a user, wherein, when remaining energy of the battery has reduced to a first predefined level, the user interface is programmed to shut down and the authentication of the user is prevented;
• and
• a controller to
• detect, by a battery-powered portable computing device having a digital key for providing access to an external secure system, that a remaining battery energy of the battery-powered portable computing device has reduced to a second predefined level higher than a first predefined level, wherein at least a portion of the battery-powered portable computing device is programmed to shut down when the remaining battery energy drops to the first predefined level;
• responsive to detecting that the remaining battery energy has reduced to the second predefined level, output, by the portable computing device, a prompt to select a configuration of the battery-powered portable computing to allow use of the digital key when the at least a portion of the battery-powered portable computing device has shut down;
• and
• responsive to receiving input selecting the configuration to allow use of the digital key when the at least a portion of the battery-powered portable computing device has shut down, transition, by the battery-powered portable computing device, from operating in a first operational state to operating in a second operational state, wherein, while operating in the first operation state, the battery-powered portable computing device prevents use of the digital key when the at least a portion of the battery-powered portable computing device has shut down, and wherein, while operating in the second operational state, the battery-powered portable computing device allows use of the digital key when the at least a portion of the battery-powered portable computing device has shut down.

A non-transitory machine-readable medium comprising instructions which, when executed by at least one processor, cause the at least one processor to:

• detect, by a battery-powered portable computing device having a digital key for providing access to an external secure system, that a remaining battery energy of the battery-powered portable computing device has reduced to a second predefined level higher than a first predefined level, wherein at least a portion of the battery-powered portable computing device is programmed to shut down when the remaining battery energy drops to the first predefined level;
• responsive to detecting that the remaining battery energy has reduced to the second predefined level, output, by the portable computing device, a prompt to select a configuration of the battery-powered portable computing to allow use of the digital key when the at least a portion of the battery-powered portable computing device has shut down;
• and
• responsive to receiving input selecting the configuration to allow use of the digital key when the at least a portion of the battery-powered portable computing device has shut down, transition, by the battery-powered portable computing device, from operating in a first operational state to operating in a second operational state, wherein, while operating in the first operation state, the battery-powered portable computing device prevents use of the digital key when the at least a portion of the battery-powered portable computing device has shut down, and wherein, while operating in the second operational state, the battery-powered portable computing device allows use of the digital key when the at least a portion of the battery-powered portable computing device has shut down.