Access control systems
View Patent ↗The present invention relates generally to access control. One claim recites a method of determining whether to allow access to a location, including: receiving optical data from an optical sensor, the optical data being associated with an object presented to the optical sensor, wherein the object comprises optically-detectable, machine-readable indicia encoded in a predetermined symbology thereon, the indicia including at least an orientation component; determining an orientation of the orientation component; obtaining from a data store a predetermined orientation; and comparing the predetermined orientation with the determined orientation to decide whether to allow access to the location. Of course, other claims are provided as well.
1. A method comprising:
receiving optical data from an optical sensor, the optical data being associated with an object presented to the optical sensor, wherein the object comprises optically-detectable, machine-readable indicia encoded using digital watermarking, said indicia comprising an orientation component and an identifier;
determining, at a electronic processor a series of orientations of the orientation component;
transmitting the identifier to a server;
receiving a series of expected orientations based on the identifier;
comparing the series of expected orientations with the determined series of orientations; and
determining an access status based on the comparison.
2. The method of claim 1 , wherein, if the series of expected orientations corresponds with the determined series of orientations, the access status comprises access allowed.
3. The method of claim 1 , wherein, if the series of expected orientations does not correspond with the determined series of orientations, the access status comprises access not allowed.
4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the indicia is configured to be unintelligible to human viewers.
5. The method of claim 1 , wherein the access status is associated with a physical facility.
6. The method of claim 1 , wherein the access status is associated with a remotely located network resource.
7. The method of claim 1 , wherein the access status is associated with a computer file.
8. The method of claim 1 , wherein the access status is associated with a location.
9. The method of claim 1 , wherein the series of expected orientations comprises a combination lock.
10. The method of claim 1 , wherein determining the series of orientations of the orientation component comprises performing a domain transform of the optical data.
11. The method of claim 10 , wherein the domain comprises a frequency domain.
12. An apparatus comprising:
a electronic processor configured to:
receive optical data from an optical sensor, the optical data being associated with an object presented to the optical sensor, wherein the object comprises optically-detectable, machine-readable indicia encoded using digital watermarking, said indicia comprising an orientation component and an identifier;
determine a series of orientations of the orientation component;
transmit the identifier to a server;
receive a series of expected orientation based on the identifier;
compare the series of expected orientations with the determined series of orientations; and
determine an access status based on the comparison.
13. The apparatus of claim 12 , wherein, if the series of expected orientations corresponds with the determined series of orientations, the access status comprises access allowed.
14. The apparatus of claim 12 , wherein, if the series of expected orientations does not correspond with the determined series of orientations, the access status comprises access not allowed.
15. The apparatus of claim 12 , wherein the indicia is configuered to be unintelligible to human viewers.
16. The apparatus of claim 12 , wherein the access status is associated with a physical facility.
17. The apparatus of claim 12 , wherein the access status is associated with a remotely located network resource.
18. The apparatus of claim 12 , wherein the access status is associated with a computer file.
19. The apparatus of claim 12 , wherein the access status is associated with a location.
20. The apparatus of claim 12 , wherein the series of expected orientations comprises a combination lock.
21. The apparatus of claim 12 , wherein determining the series of orientations of the orientation component comprises performing a domain transform of the optical data.
22. The apparatus of claim 21 , wherein the domain comprises a frequency domain.
23. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium having instructions stored thereon that, when executed by a computing device, cause the computing device to perform operations comprising:
receiving optical data from an optical sensor, the optical data being associated with an object presented to the optical sensor, wherein the object comprises optically-detectable, machine-readable indicia encoded using digital watermaking, said indicia comprising an orientation component and an identifier;
determining a series of orientations of the orientation component;
transmitting the identifier to a server;
receiving a series of expected orientations based on the identifier;
comparing the series of expected orientations with the determined series of orientations; and
determining an access status based on the comparison.
24. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 23 , wherein, if the series of expected orientations corresponds with the determined series of orientations, the access status comprises access allowed.
25. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 23 , wherein, if the series of expected orientations does not correspond with the determined series of orientations, the access status comprises access not allowed.
26. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 23 , wherein the indicia is configured to be unintelligible to human viewers.
27. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 23 , wherein the access status is associates with a physical facility.
28. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 23 , wherein the access status is associated with a remotely located network resource.
29. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 23 , wherein the access status is associated with a computer file.
30. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 23 , wherein the access status is associated with a location.
31. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 23 , wherein the series of expected orientations comprises a combination lock.
32. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 23 , wherein determining the series of orientations of the orientation component comprises performing a domain transform of the optical data.
33. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 32 , wherein the domain comprises a frequency domain.