Utilizing a mobile device to operate an electronic locking mechanism

One or more nontransitory computer-readable media having computer-useable instructions embodied thereon that, when executed by one or more processing devices, perform a method of operating an electronic locking mechanism, the method comprising:

• at a computing device that communicates with a communications network:
• A) receiving an identifier automatically sent from a sensing device that is communicatively coupled to the electronic locking mechanism, wherein the sensing device pulls the identifier from a mobile device upon the mobile device entering within a predefined proximity of the sensing device;
• B) upon receiving the identifier, determining whether the mobile device is authorized to operate the electronic locking mechanism based on, in part, the identifier;
• C) when the mobile device is authorized to operate the electronic locking mechanism, requesting a communications-network server send a first message to the mobile device, wherein the first message carries first validation data;
• D) in response to the request, receiving from the mobile device a second message carrying authentication information, wherein the mobile device derives the authentication information from the first validation information;
• E) receiving from the communications-network server a third message carrying second validation data that is generated as a function of the identifier;
• F) comparing the second validation data from the communications-network server against the second validation data from the mobile device;
• and
• G) based upon a result of the comparison, initiating a procedure to operate the electronic locking mechanism.

A computing device equipped with at least one processing unit configured to perform a method that validates a requesting mobile device as authorized to operate an electronic locking mechanism, the method comprising:

• at the computing device:
• A) receiving an identifier provided by the requesting mobile device upon the requesting mobile device entering within a physical proximity of a sensing device communicatively coupled to the electronic locking mechanism;
• B) requesting that a communications network transmit a first message to a target mobile device that is identified by the identifier;
• C) receiving from the target mobile device a first access code as part of a second message communicated to a computing device;
• D) receiving from the communications network a second access code;
• E) performing a validation procedure comprising:
• i) employing the computing device to extract the first access code from the second message, and
• ii) comparing the first access code against the second access code to determine a match;
• and
• F) granting permission to the requesting mobile device to control the electronic locking mechanism when the first access code matches the second access code.