# US 8,543,684 B2 · Method for computing the entropic value of a dynamical memory system > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 8,543,684 B2 - Document ID: US8543684B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 12/166,221 - Filed: 2008-07-08 - Published: 2009-02-26 - Granted: 2013-09-24 - Earliest claimed: 2007-08-24 - Assignees: Assa Abloy AB - Applicants: Tam Hulusi; Robert Wamsley - Inventors: Tam Hulusi; Robert Wamsley - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US8543684B2 ## CPC - H04L 43/0858: {One way delays} - G07C 9/27: with central registration - H04L 43/50: Testing arrangements - H04L 51/234: for tracking messages - H04L 63/102: {Entity profiles} - G07C 9/00896: {specially adapted for particular uses} - G07C 2209/08: With time considerations, e.g. temporary activation, valid time window or time limitations - H04L 12/1881: {with schedule organisation, e.g. priority, sequence management} - H04L 43/0852: Delays - H04L 43/0876: Network utilisation, e.g. volume of load or congestion level - H04L: TRANSMISSION OF DIGITAL INFORMATION, e.g. TELEGRAPHIC COMMUNICATION (arrangements common to telegraphic and telephonic communication H04M) - 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 Methods, devices, and systems are provided for optimizing the dissemination of information in various types of systems such as an access control system. More specifically, there are provided various mechanisms to increase the efficiency with which system updates and other types of information are spread throughout an access control system having at least one non-networked reader. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A method, comprising: receiving message host information; receiving message carrier information, wherein a message carrier comprises a handheld and portable access control credential capable of storing a message object and communicating the message object to a message host when a user presents the message carrier to the message host, thereby enabling the message carrier to carry message objects between message hosts, wherein at least one of the message hosts comprises a non-networked access control message host; analyzing, with a network analysis module, the message host and message carrier information to determine at least one of (i) an amount of time required for a first message object to be communicated to a predetermined number of non-networked message hosts and/or a predetermined number of message carriers and (ii) a number of non-networked message hosts and/or number of message carriers that will receive the first message object within a predetermined amount of time; and providing, with the network analysis module, an output to a user indicating results of the analyzing step. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the message object comprises a machine readable message. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the message host information comprises actual locations and network capabilities for message hosts in an access control system, and wherein message carrier information comprises an actual number of message carriers associated with the access control system. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the output comprises dissemination statistics for the first message object. ### Claim 5 (depends on 4) The method of claim 4, wherein dissemination statistics comprise at least one of (a) a probability that the first message object will reach a first message host within the required time, (b) an indication of time needed for the first message object to reach the first message host within a predetermined probability, (c) a probability that the first message host will not receive the message object, and (d) a probability that a first message carrier will not receive the message object. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the output comprises suggestions to optimize dissemination of the first message object to the predetermined number of message hosts. ### Claim 7 (depends on 6) The method of claim 6, wherein the suggestions to optimize dissemination of the first message object include at least one of (a) a suggested message host on which to introduce the first message object to an access control system, (b) a suggested message carrier on which to introduce the first message object to the access control system, and (c) a suggested delayed update. ### Claim 8 (depends on 7) The method of claim 7, wherein the suggestions to optimize dissemination of the first message object comprise a suggested delayed update and wherein the first message object comprises a timer mechanism that activates the first message object at a predetermined time after the first message object has been introduced into the access control system. ### Claim 9 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein message hosts comprise RFID access control readers, wherein message carriers comprise portable RFID access control credentials, and wherein the first message object comprises policy information for the access control readers including an access control update changing access rights for at least one access control credential to access at least one asset associated with an access control reader. ### Claim 10 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the output comprises an expected minimum number of delivery steps needed to convey a first message object from an originating access control device to a target access control device. ### Claim 11 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the analyzing step comprises at least one of: reading a log file of at least one of a message host and message carrier; calculating a weighted adjacency matrix for an event time corresponding to the required time; calculating a distribution for data flow between message hosts and message carriers; identifying message carriers that will contact each message host during the event time; identifying message hosts that will be contacted by each message carrier during the event time; identifying clusters of message carriers that will contact a predetermined number of message hosts during the event time; identifying clusters of message hosts that will be contacted by a predetermined number of message carriers during the event time; and calculating a propagation rate for the first message object during the event time, wherein the propagation rate is based on message initiation at one or more access control devices. ### Claim 12 (depends on 1) A non-transitory computer readable medium comprising processor executable instructions that, when executed, perform the method of claim 1. ### Claim 13 A method, comprising: receiving message host information; receiving message carrier information, wherein message carriers comprise at least one portable medium capable of storing a message object and communicating the message object to a message host thereby enabling the message carrier to carry message objects between message hosts, wherein at least one of the message hosts comprises a non-networked message host; analyzing, with a network analysis module, the message host and message carrier information to determine at least one of (i) an amount of time required for a first message object to be communicated to a predetermined number of message hosts and/or a predetermined number of message carriers and (ii) a number of message hosts and/or message carriers that will receive the first message object within a predetermined amount of time; providing, with the network analysis module, an output to a user indicating results of the analyzing step; receiving message dissemination requirements that define the required time in which the predetermined number of message hosts and/or message carriers should receive a message object; determining whether the first message object will be disseminated to at least the predetermined number of message hosts and/or message carriers within the required time; and including in the output results of the determining step. ### Claim 14 (depends on 13) The method of claim 13, wherein the message host information comprises proposed locations and network capabilities for message hosts in an access control system, wherein message carrier information comprises a proposed number of message carriers associated with the access control system, wherein the non-networked message host relies on the message carriers to receive the first message object and share other message objects with other non-networked message hosts, and wherein the output comprises at least one of (a) a suggested different location for at least one message host, (b) a suggested different network capability for at least one message host, and (c) a suggested different number of message carriers. ### Claim 15 (depends on 14) The method of claim 14, wherein the output comprises a different network capability for at least one identified message host and wherein the different network capability comprises providing a direct communication link between the identified at least one message host and another network device in the access control system. ### Claim 16 A device, comprising: memory for storage of program instructions and a processor for executing the program instructions stored in the memory, the program instructions including: a network analysis module operable to analyze information flows in an access control system comprising a plurality of message hosts, at least one of which is a non-networked access control message host, and a plurality of message carriers operable to carry message objects between message hosts as users carry message carriers between message hosts and present message carriers to message hosts, wherein the network analysis module is further operable to determine and provide, as an output, at least one of (i) an amount of time required for a first message object to be communicated to a predetermined number of non-networked message hosts and/or a predetermined number of message carriers and (ii) a number of non-networked message hosts and/or number of message carriers that will receive the first message object within a predetermined amount of time. ### Claim 17 (depends on 16) The device of claim 16, wherein the network analysis module is further operable to receive message dissemination requirements that define the required time in which the predetermined number of message hosts and/or message carriers should receive a message object, determine whether the first message object will be disseminated to at least the predetermined number of message hosts and/or message carriers within the required time and include results of the determination in the output. ### Claim 18 (depends on 17) The device of claim 17, wherein the network analysis module is further configured to analyze message host information which comprises proposed locations and network capabilities for message hosts in an access control system, wherein message carrier information comprises a proposed number of message carriers associated with the access control system, wherein the output comprises at least one of (a) a suggested different physical location for at least one message host, (b) a suggested different network capability for at least one message host, and (c) a suggested different number of message carriers. ### Claim 19 (depends on 18) The device of claim 18, wherein the output comprises a different network capability for at least one identified message host and wherein the different network capability comprises providing a direct communication link between the identified at least one message host and another network device in the access control system. ### Claim 20 (depends on 16) The device of claim 16, wherein the message object comprises a machine readable message. ### Claim 21 (depends on 16) The device of claim 16, wherein information analyzed by the network analysis module includes message host information and message carrier information, wherein the message host information comprises actual locations and network capabilities for message hosts in an access control system, and wherein message carrier information comprises an actual number of message carriers associated with the access control system. ### Claim 22 (depends on 16) The device of claim 16, wherein the output comprises dissemination statistics for the first message object, wherein dissemination statistics comprise at least one of (a) a probability that the first message object will reach a first message host within the required time, (b) an indication of time needed for the first message object to reach the first message host within a predetermined probability, (c) a probability that the first message host will not receive the message object, and (d) a probability that a first message carrier will not receive the message object. ### Claim 23 (depends on 16) The device of claim 16, wherein the output includes suggestions to optimize dissemination of the first message object, which include at least one of (a) a suggested message host on which to introduce the first message object to an access control system, (b) a suggested message carrier on which to introduce the first message object to the access control system, and (c) a suggested delayed update. ### Claim 24 (depends on 23) The device of claim 23, wherein the suggestions to optimize dissemination of the first message object comprise a suggested delayed update and wherein the first message object comprises a timer mechanism that activates the first message object at a predetermined time after the first message object has been introduced into the access control system. ### Claim 25 (depends on 16) The device of claim 16, wherein message hosts comprise RFID access control readers, wherein message carriers comprise portable RFID access control credentials, and wherein the first message object comprises policy information for the access control readers including an access control update changing access rights for at least one access control credential to access at least one asset associated with an access control reader. ### Claim 26 (depends on 16) The device of claim 16, wherein the output comprises an expected minimum number of delivery steps needed to convey the first message object from an originating access control device to a target access control device. ### Claim 27 (depends on 16) The device of claim 16, wherein the network analysis module is further operable to perform at least one of the following: read a log file of at least one of a message host and message carrier; calculate a weighted adjacency matrix for an event time corresponding to the required time; calculate a distribution for data flow between message hosts and message carriers; identify message carriers that will contact each message host during the event time; identify message hosts that will be contacted by each message carrier during the event time; identify clusters of message carriers that will contact a predetermined number of message hosts during the event time; identify clusters of message hosts that will be contacted by a predetermined number of message carriers during the event time; and calculate a propagation rate for the first message object during the event time, wherein the propagation rate is based on message initiation at one or more access control devices.