Remote guest access to a secured premises
Generally speaking, and pursuant to these various embodiments, a method, apparatus, and computer-readable medium is provided that allows a guest to contact an owner or operator of a secured premises or area to gain access to the secured premises. An access control device initiates contact with a guest device and provides a resource to contact an owner device. If the owner decides to grant access to the guest, the owner selects a suitable input on the owner device so that the owner device sends an authorized signal to the guest device. The guest device acts as a gateway and forwards the authorized signal to the access control device. The access control device operates in response to reception of the authorized signal to grant the guest access to the secured premises.
1. A method performed by an access control device of a secured premises, the method comprising:
receiving, at the access control device, a control signal associated with a mobile device of a guest for the guest to gain access to the secured premises;
using a camera device proximate to the access control device, in response to receiving the control signal, to capture an image of the guest;
causing transmission of a request to a device associated with an owner having administrative status for the secured premises, the request configured to cause the device associated with the owner to prompt the owner to admit the guest to the secured premises, the request further configured to cause the device associated with the owner to display the image of the guest captured by the camera device;
receiving a communication, from the device associated with the owner, based on a user input responsive to the prompt; and
granting access for the guest to the secured premises, by the access control device, in response to the communication and upon a determination that the mobile device of the guest is proximate to the access control device.
2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the control signal is received at the access control device:
from the mobile device of the guest; or
from a server device.
3. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
causing broadcast of a communication signal adjacent the access control device via a short-range wireless communication protocol; and
wherein the guest is determined to be proximate to the access control device based on reception by the mobile device of the communication signal.
4. The method of claim 3 , further comprising:
receiving a response from the mobile device that indicates the reception; or
receiving a communication from a server device that indicates the reception.
5. The method of claim 3 , wherein the short-range wireless communication protocol is selected from the group consisting of a near field communication protocol, a Bluetooth communication protocol, and a Wi-Fi communication protocol.
6. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
receiving, from the mobile device or a server device, a location of the mobile device; and
wherein the guest is determined to be proximate to the access control device based at least in part on comparison of the location of the mobile device with a location of the access control device or with an area adjacent the access control device.
7. The method of claim 6 , wherein the comparison is performed by at least one of the access control device, the mobile device, and the server device.
8. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
providing an access right to the guest, the access right including a temporal restriction, a spatial restriction, or a spatial-temporal restriction.
9. An access control device associated with a secured premises, the access control device comprising:
communication circuitry to receive, at the access control device, a control signal associated with a mobile device of a guest, the control signal to facilitate the guest gaining access to the secured premises;
a camera device operably coupled to the communication circuitry; and
control circuitry operably coupled to the communication circuitry and the camera device;
wherein the camera device is configured to capture an image of a guest in response to the communication circuitry receiving the control signal;
wherein the communication circuitry is further configured to cause transmission of a request to a device associated with an owner having administrative status for the secured premises, the request configured to cause the device associated with the owner to prompt the owner to admit the guest to the secured premises and further cause the device associated with the owner to display the image of the guest captured by the camera device;
wherein the control circuitry is configured to grant access for the guest to the secured premises, by the access control device, in response to receiving a communication from the device associated with the owner based on a user input responsive to the prompt and upon a determination that the mobile device associated with the guest is proximate the access control device.
10. The access control device of claim 9 , wherein the control signal is received at the access control device:
from the mobile device of the guest; or
from a server device.
11. The access control device of claim 9 , wherein at least one of the control circuitry and the communication circuitry is further configured to cause broadcast of a communication signal adjacent the access control device via a short-range wireless communication protocol; and
wherein the guest is determined to be proximate to the access control device based on reception by the mobile device of the communication signal.
12. The access control device of claim 11 , wherein the communication circuitry is further configured to receive:
a response signal via the short-range wireless communication protocol from the mobile device that indicates the reception; or
a communication from a server device that indicates the reception.
13. The access control device of claim 11 , wherein the short-range wireless communication protocol is selected from the group consisting of a near field communication protocol, a Bluetooth communication protocol, and a Wi-Fi communication protocol.
14. The access control device of claim 9 , wherein the communication circuitry is further configured to receive, from the mobile device or a server device, a location of the mobile device; and
wherein the guest is determined to be proximate to the access control device based at least in part on comparison of the location of the mobile device with a location of the access control device or with an area adjacent the access control device.
15. The access control device of claim 14 , wherein the comparison is performed by at least one of the access control device, the mobile device, and the server device.
16. The access control device of claim 9 , wherein the control circuitry is further configured to provide an access right to the guest, wherein the access right includes a temporal restriction, a spatial restriction, or a spatial-temporal restriction.
17. A non-transitory computer-readable medium storing instructions which, when executed, cause performance of a method by an access control device of a secured premises, the method comprising:
receiving, at the access control device, a control signal associated with a mobile device of a guest, the control signal to facilitate the guest gaining access to the secured premises;
using a camera device proximate to the access control device, in response to receiving the control signal, to capture an image of the guest;
causing transmission of a request to a device associated with an owner having administrative status for the secured premises, the request configured to cause the device associated with the owner to prompt the owner to admit the guest to the secured premises, the request further configured to cause the device to display the image of the guest captured by the camera device;
receiving a communication, from the device associated with the owner, based on a user input responsive to the prompt; and
granting access for the guest to the secured premises, by the access control device, in response to the communication and upon a determination that the mobile device of the guest is proximate to the access control device.
18. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 17 , wherein the control signal is received at the access control device:
from the mobile device of the guest; or
from a server device.
19. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 17 , wherein the method further comprises:
causing broadcast of a communication signal adjacent the access control device via a short-range wireless communication protocol; and
wherein the guest is determined to be proximate to the access control device based on reception by the mobile device of the communication signal.
20. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 19 , wherein the method further comprises:
receiving a response via the short-range wireless communication protocol from the mobile device that indicates the reception; or
receiving a communication from a server device that indicates the reception.
21. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 19 , wherein the short-range wireless communication protocol is selected from the group consisting of a near field communication protocol, a Bluetooth communication protocol, and a Wi-Fi communication protocol.
22. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 17 , wherein the method further comprises:
receiving, from the mobile device or a server device, a location of the mobile device; and
wherein the guest is determined to be proximate to the access control device based at least in part on comparison of the location of the mobile device with a location of the access control device or with an area adjacent the access control device.
23. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 22 , wherein the comparison is performed by at least one of the access control device, the mobile device, and the server device.
24. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 17 , further comprising:
providing an access right to the guest, the access right including a temporal restriction, a spatial restriction, or a spatial-temporal restriction.
25. The method of claim 1 , wherein the request transmitted to the owner is further configured to cause initiation of a video conference between the guest and the owner via the camera device.
26. The method of claim 1 , wherein the request transmitted to the owner is configured to cause display of a push notification on the device associated with the owner.
27. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
controlling operation, by the access control device, of one or more secondary devices upon receiving the communication from the device associated with the owner.
28. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
receiving, at the mobile device of the guest, a signal configured to cause display of a route to an access point associated with the secured premises.