An electronic lock for securing a physical space and the electronic lock itself

AN ELECTRONIC LOCK FOR SECURING A PHYSICAL SPACE AND THE ELECTRONIC LOCK ITSELF

TECHNICAL FIELD

[0001] The present disclosure relates to the field of electronic locks and in particular to electronic locks

BACKGROUND

[0002] Locks and keys are evolving from the traditional pure mechanical locks. These days, electronic locks are becoming increasingly common. For electronic locks, no mechanical key profile is needed for authentication of a user. The electronic locks can e.g. be opened using an electronic key stored on a special carrier (key card, fob, etc.) or in a smartphone. The electronic key and electronic lock can e.g. communicate over a wireless interface. Such electronic locks provide a number of benefits, including improved flexibility in management of access rights, audit trails, key management, etc.

[0003] In order to secure the electronic lock itself from attackers, it can be installed using screws with special profiles that requires a screwdriver with exactly the correct profile to unscrew. This makes it more difficult for an attacker to unscrew such screws.

[0004] However, a serious attacker can carry a set of screwdrivers or screwdriver bits for a large number of profiles, allowing the attacker to gain access to and/or uninstall the electronic lock. Moreover, legitimate maintenance personnel need to ensure that they carry a screwdriver or bits for exactly the correct profile of the electronic lock that they need to access.

SUMMARY

[0005] One object is to improve integral security of an electronic lock.

[0006] According to a first aspect, it is provided an electronic lock according to appended claim 1.

[0007] According to a second aspect, it is provided a method according to appended claim 7.

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[ooo8] Generally, all terms used in the claims are to be interpreted according to their ordinary meaning in the technical field, unless explicitly defined otherwise herein. All references to a/an/the element, apparatus, component, means, step, etc. are to be interpreted openly as referring to at least one instance of the element, apparatus, component, means, step, etc., unless explicitly stated otherwise. The steps of any method disclosed herein do not have to be performed in the exact order disclosed, unless explicitly stated.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0009] Aspects and embodiments are now described, by way of example, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:

[0010] Fig 1 is a schematic diagram illustrating an environment in which embodiments presented herein can be applied;

[0011] Fig 2 is a schematic diagram illustrating embodiments of a first locking mechanism of the electronic lock of Fig 1;

[0012] Figs 3A-C are schematic diagrams illustrating embodiments of a second locking mechanism of the electronic lock of Fig 1;

[0013] Fig 4 is a schematic diagram illustrating an embodiment where the second locking mechanisms 22 engage with the door 15

[0014] Fig 5 is a flow chart illustrating embodiments of methods for securing a physical space and the electronic lock itself;

[0015] Fig 6 is a schematic diagram illustrating components of the electronic lock of Fig 1; and

[0016] Fig 7 shows one example of a computer program product comprising computer readable means.

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DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0017] The aspects of the present disclosure will now be described more fully hereinafter with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which certain embodiments of the invention are shown. These aspects may, however, be embodied in many different forms and should not be construed as limiting; rather, these embodiments are provided by way of example so that this disclosure will be thorough and complete, and to fully convey the scope of all aspects of invention to those skilled in the art. Like numbers refer to like elements throughout the description.

[0018] According to embodiments presented herein, an electronic lock is provided with two locking mechanisms, that are both electronically controllable. Apart from a first, traditional locking mechanism, that can be used to lock/unlock a door, a second locking mechanism is provided for controlling access to at least part of the electronic lock itself. In this way, access can be differentiated between traditional access to a space protected by the electronic lock and maintenance access to the electronic lock itself. This reduces the risk of an attacker gaining access to the lock itself e.g. to manipulate its function.

[0019] Fig 1 is a schematic diagram illustrating an environment in which embodiments presented herein can be applied. Access to a physical space 16 is restricted by a door 15, which is selectively unlockable. The door 15 stands between the restricted physical space 16 and an accessible physical space 14. Note that the accessible physical space 14 can be a restricted physical space in itself, but in relation to this particular door 15, the accessible physical space 14 is accessible. In other words, the restricted physical space 16 is inside the door 15 and the accessible physical space 14 is outside the door 15. The term door 15 should be construed broadly and can be in the form of openable barrier, including a door, gate, turnstile, hatch, window, drawer, etc. In order to unlock or lock the door 15, an electronic lock 12 is provided. The door 15 is provided in a surrounding fixed structure 11, such as a wall or fence. A handle 13 (or an equivalent doorknob) is provided to allow the user 5 to open (or close) the door when unlocked.

[0020] A user 5 is in the vicinity of the electronic lock 12. The user 5 can carry a credential in the form of a portable key device 2. The portable key device 2 is

547 887 implemented using any suitable device which is portable by the user, and which can be used by the electronic lock 12 to evaluate whether to grant access or not by communicating over a communication channel with the portable key device 2. For instance, the portable key device 2 can be implemented as a smart phone, wearable device, key fob, smartcard, etc. The electronic lock 12 is able to communicate with the portable key device 2 over a communication channel which may be a short-range wireless interface.

[0021] The short-range wireless interface between the portable key device 2 and the electronic lock 12 is a radio frequency wireless interface and could e.g. employ Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE), Bluetooth, Near-Field Communication (NFC), Radio Frequency Identification (RFID), UHF, ZigBee, any of the IEEE 802.11 standards, any of the IEEE 802.15 standards, wireless Universal Serial Bus (USB), etc. Using the communication channel, the identity of the portable key device 2 can be obtained and access control can be performed by the electronic lock 12. The communication over the short-range wireless interface can be encrypted.

[0022] Alternatively or in addition to the portable key device 2, the user 5 can possess a credential in the form of biometrics or a passcode.

[0023] A reader 17 is provided internal to or external to the electronic lock 12. The reader 17 reads a credential of the user 5, e.g. using short-range wireless communication, keypad (for a passcode), face recognition, fingerprint recognition, iris recognition, etc. This allows the electronic lock 12 to authenticate the user 5. Based on the authentication, the electronic lock 12 evaluates whether there is a first authorization to unlock the lock to allow the door 15 to open. Additionally, the electronic lock 12 evaluates whether there is a second authorization (based on the authentication) defining that the user 5 can unlock the electronic lock 12 itself, as described in more detail below.

[0024] In this way, access both to a closed space 16 and to the electronic lock 12 itself is controlled by the electronic lock 12. It is to be noted that the electronic lock 12 can be mounted in the physical door 15 itself (as shown) or in the surrounding fixed structure 11 by the door 15 (not shown).

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[0025] The electronic lock 12 and/or the portable key device 2 optionally contain communication capabilities to connect via a network 7 to a server 3 of an electronic access control system. The network 7 can be a wide area network, such as the Internet, to which the electronic lock 12 and/or the portable key device 2 can connect e.g. via WiFi (e.g. any of the IEEE 802. tlx standards) or a cellular network, e.g. LTE (Long Term Evolution), next generation mobile networks (fifth generation, 5G), UMTS (Universal Mobile Telecommunications System) utilising W-CDMA (Wideband Code Division Multiplex), etc. Optionally, the server 3 is utilised by the electronic lock 12 as part of the authentication and/or authorization of the credential that is presented.

[0026] Fig 2 is a schematic diagram illustrating embodiments of a first locking mechanism 21 of the electronic lock 12 of Fig 1. The view in Fig 2 is in an x-y plane.

[0027] The electronic lock 12 is here installed in the door 15. A first locking mechanism 21 is configured to control extension of a locking bolt 23, in an x-direction in Fig 2. When the locking bolt 23 is extended into the surrounding fixed structure 11 by an actuator 31, the door is locked. Subsequently, the locking bolt 23 is retracted by the actuator 31 and does not extend into the surrounding space, leading to the door 15 being unlocked. It is to be noted that the locking bolt 23 can be separate or combined with a door latch. In one embodiment, the handle 13 is selectively controllable to, when rotated, retract or extend the locking bolt 23. In a locked state, the handle 13 cannot be rotated to retract the locking bolt 23. This can be implemented by the handle 13 being decoupled and freely rotatable without affecting the locking bolt 23. Alternatively, in the locked state, the handle 13 is in a fixed rotatable state, i.e. immovable. When the electronic lock 12 is unlocked, the handle 13 can be rotated which causes the locking bolt 23 to retract.

[0028] The actuator 31 can e.g. be in the form of an electric motor and/or a solenoid. The actuator 31 and the locking bolt 23 can collectively form part of the first locking mechanism 21. The first locking mechanism is electronically controllable, e.g. by the processor 60 shown in Fig 6. It is to be noted that the electronic lock 12 can also be provided in the surrounding fixed space 11, in which case the locking bolt is extendible into the door 15. In one embodiment, the locked/unlocked state of the electronic lock 12 is implemented using an electric strike plate. In this embodiment, there is a

547 887 conventional mechanical lock provided in the door and the electronic lock 12 is provided in the surrounding in the surrounding fixed structure 11. The electric strike plate is controllable to allow or disallow release of the latch bolt/locking bolt when the door is pulled or pushed to open, to thereby implement locking and unlocking of the door.

[0029] Figs 3A-C are schematic diagrams illustrating embodiments of a second locking mechanism 22 of the electronic lock 12 of Fig 1. The view in Fig 3A is in an x-y plane, while the views of Figs 3B-C are in an y-z plane.

[0030] Looking first to Fig 3A, the electronic lock 12 is shown with the locking bolt 23 in a retracted (unlocked state). The electronic lock 12 is provided with a housing 20 in the form of a lock case. The electronic lock 12 is installed into the door 15, e.g. in a recess in the door blade, and is mounted using a mounting mechanism 26, in this case in the form of screws. Other forms of mounting mechanisms can also be used, e.g. snap fasteners, clips, adhesives, nails, etc. Outside the electronic lock 12 on the side towards the surrounding structure 11 (into which the locking bolt 23 can extend), a protection plate 18 is provided. The protection plate 18 prevents access to the mounting mechanism 26.

[0031] A second locking mechanism 22 is provided for selectively controlling access to at least part of the electronic lock 12. In this case, the second locking mechanism 22 secures the protection plate 18. The second locking mechanism 22 can e.g. be implemented by a solenoid or motor, combined with suitable mechanical components such as any one or more of pins, springs and/or balls, to keep the protection plate 18 in a locked or unlocked state. The second locking mechanism 22 is electronically controllable, e.g. by the processor 60 shown in Fig 6. The second locking mechanism 22 is separately controllable from the first locking mechanism 21.

[0032] In Fig 3B, the protection plate 18 can be seen when the protection plate 18 is secured in a locked position. A through opening 19 is provided in the protection plate 18 to allow the locking bolt 23 to pass through.

[0033] In Fig 3C, compared to the view of Fig 3B, the protection plate 18 has been unlocked and is removed, whereby the housing 20 of the electronic lock 12 can be seen.

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Now the mounting mechanisms 26 are exposed, allowing e.g. the electronic lock 12 to be removed from its installed location. Alternatively or additionally, an internal fastening mechanism 27 is exposed, e.g. in the form of screws, snap fasteners or clips. When the internal fastening mechanism 27 is exposed, the housing 20 can be opened, e.g. for servicing or repairing the electronic lock 12.

[0034] Fig 4 is a schematic diagram illustrating an embodiment where the second locking mechanisms 22 engage with the door 15. In this embodiment, the second locking mechanisms 22 comprise pins that can extend into the door to prevent the electronic lock 12 from being unmounted. When access to the electronic lock 12 is granted, the pins of the second locking mechanisms 22 are retracted, after which the mounting mechanisms 26 (e.g. screws) can be unmounted. It is to be noted that the second locking mechanism 22 can be implemented in any other suitable manner that selectively allows access to and/or unmounting of the electronic lock 12.

[0035] While Fig 2, Figs 3A-C and Fig 4 show embodiments of the electronic lock 12 with a housing in the form of a lock case, it should be noted that the electronic lock can also be provided such that the housing is provided as a door handle or doorknob 13. In such an embodiment, the second locking mechanism can be provided to prevent the handle from being unmounted and/or opened, e.g. by pins engaging with a shaft or in any other suitable manner.

[0036] Fig 5 is a flow chart illustrating embodiments of methods for securing a physical space and the electronic lock itself. The method is performed by the electronic lock 12.

[0037] In a determine access rights step 40, the electronic lock 12 determines access rights of a presented credential 2. This can be determined based on authentication and authorisation described above. The access rights can define the right to open zero, one or more lock mechanisms for one or more electronic locks 12.

[0038] In a conditional 1^st unlock allowed step 41, the electronic lock 12 evaluates whether the determined access rights allow the first locking mechanism to unlock. In other words, do the determined access rights define the right to unlock the first locking

547 887 mechanism 21? If this is the case, the method proceeds to an unlock 1^st locking mechanism step 42. Otherwise, the method proceeds to a conditional 2^nd unlock allowed step 43.

[0039] In the unlock 1^st locking mechanism step 42, the electronic lock 12 unlocks the first locking mechanism 21. As explained above, the first locking mechanism 21 is electronically controllable for selectively controlling access to the physical space 16, such as a room or part of a building, secured by the electronic lock 12.

[0040] In the conditional 2^nd unlock allowed step 43, the electronic lock 12 evaluates whether the determined access rights allow the second locking mechanism to unlock. In other words, do the determined access rights define the right to unlock the second locking mechanism 22? It is to be noted that access rights for unlocking the second locking mechanism can be separate from access rights for unlocking the first locking mechanism. In other words a credential can have access rights to unlock either one or both of the first locking mechanism 21 and the second locking mechanism 22. If the determined access rights allow the second locking mechanism to unlock, the method proceeds to an unlock 2^nd locking mechanism step 42. Otherwise, the method ends.

[0041] In the unlock 2^nd locking mechanism step 44, the electronic lock 12 unlocks the second locking mechanism 22. As explained above, the second locking mechanism 22 is electronically controllable for selectively controlling access to at least part of the electronic lock 12. The second locking mechanism 22 is separately controllable from the first locking mechanism 21. In one embodiment, the second locking mechanism 22 is completely separate from the first locking mechanism 21, i.e. there are no common parts. In one embodiment, the first locking mechanism 21 and the second locking mechanism 22 share some parts. For instance, there may be a motor that when operated in one direction controls the first locking mechanism 21 while when operated in the other direction controls the second locking mechanism 22.

[0042] By providing both the first locking mechanism 21 and the second locking mechanism 22 in a way such that they are electronically controllable, credentials of the same type (e.g. smartphone, passcode, key card) can conveniently be used for unlocking

547 887 the electronic lock 12 in a traditional way and unlocking the electronic lock 12 for internal access.

[0043] Consider a scenario of a multi-room facility such as a hotel or cruise ship. Each guest will of course be able to unlock the first locking mechanism 21 of the electronic lock 12 to access his/her assigned room. However, a normal guest will not be able to unlock the second locking mechanism 22 of the electronic lock 12 to access internal parts or to uninstall the electronic lock 12. The prevents a guest with ill intentions from manipulating the electronic lock 12, e.g. to gain access to the secured space at a later time. On the other hand, maintenance personnel that need to access the interior of the lock for repairs or maintenance, or that need to unmount the lock, are issued a credential that allows the second locking mechanism 22 to unlock, allowing easy access to the electronic lock 12 itself. The maintenance personnel can use the same type of credential to unlock the second locking mechanism 22 that is used to unlock the first locking mechanism 21, e.g. key card, smartphone, etc. This makes it convenient for the maintenance personnel to unlock the second locking mechanism 22. The credential can be limited to only be valid for a specific lock or a specific group of locks. The credential can also be limited be valid to certain time periods or indefinitely. Hence, embodiments presented herein provide a solution that reduces the risk of attack to the electronic lock 12 itself, i.e. improving integral security of the electronic lock 12, while conveniently allowing legitimate access to the lock itself when needed.

[0044] Fig 6 is a schematic diagram illustrating components of the electronic lock 12 of Fig 1. A processor 60 is provided using any combination of one or more of a suitable central processing unit (CPU), graphics processing unit (GPU), multiprocessor, neural processing unit (NPU), microcontroller, digital signal processor (DSP), etc., capable of executing software instructions 67 stored in a memory 64, which can thus be a computer program product. The processor 60 could alternatively be implemented using an application specific integrated circuit (ASIC), field programmable gate array (FPGA), etc. The processor 60 can be configured to execute the method described with reference to Fig 5 above.

[0045] The memory 64 can be any combination of random-access memory (RAM) and/or read-only memory (ROM). The memory 64 also comprises non-transitory

547 887 persistent storage, which, for example, can be any single one or combination of magnetic memory, optical memory, solid-state memory or even remotely mounted memory.

[0046] A data memory 66 is also provided for reading and/or storing data during execution of software instructions in the processor 60. The data memory 66 can be any combination of RAM and/or ROM.

[0047] An I/O interface 62 is provided for communicating with external and/or internal entities using wired communication, e.g. based on Ethernet, and/or wireless communication, e.g. Bluetooth, BLE, Wi-Fi, and/or a cellular network. Optionally, a credential reader 17, e.g. in the form of a biometric reader or keypad, is provided separately from the I/O interface 62.

[0048] Other components of the electronic lock 12 are omitted in order not to obscure the concepts presented herein.

[0049] Fig 7 shows one example of a computer program product 90 comprising computer readable means. On this computer readable means, a computer program 91 can be stored in a non-transitory memory. The computer program can cause a processor to execute a method according to embodiments described herein. In this example, the computer program product 90 is in the form of a removable solid-state memory, e.g. a Universal Serial Bus (USB) drive. As explained above, the computer program product could also be embodied in a memory of a device, such as the computer program product 64 of Fig 6. While the computer program 91 is here schematically shown as a section of the removable solid-state memory, the computer program can be stored in any way which is suitable for the computer program product, such as another type of removable solid-state memory, or an optical disc, such as a CD (compact disc), a DVD (digital versatile disc) or a Blu-Ray disc.

[0050] The aspects of the present disclosure have mainly been described above with reference to a few embodiments. However, as is readily appreciated by a person skilled in the art, other embodiments than the ones disclosed above are equally possible within the scope of the invention, as defined by the appended patent claims. Thus, while

547 887 various aspects and embodiments have been disclosed herein, other aspects and embodiments will be apparent to those skilled in the art. The various aspects and embodiments disclosed herein are for purposes of illustration and are not intended to be limiting, with the true scope and spirit being indicated by the following claims.