Cloud-based wireless communication system and method

Abstract

A server may receive information from a computer, store the information in a database at the server, determine a reader device that is configured to receive and/or process credential information and/or a unique identifier and to receive the information based on an analysis of the information, select one or more mobile devices to deliver the information to the reader, and transmit data to the one or more mobile devices where the data includes at least a portion of the information.

1 .- 20 . (canceled) 
     
     
         21 . A computer implemented method for updating a reader device with access control information, comprising:
 determining a reader device that is to receive the access control information based on an analysis of the access control information;   transmitting, to a first plurality of mobile devices having access rights to the reader device, the access control information and a firmware update for the reader device, wherein the firmware update is stored in memory of each mobile device of the first plurality of mobile devices;   receiving, by the reader device, the firmware update from a first mobile device of the first plurality of mobile devices;   transmitting, by the reader device to the first mobile device, a confirmation that the firmware update of the reader device was successful;   receiving, from the first mobile device, a notification message indicating that the firmware update of the reader device was successful; and   in response to receiving the notification message, transmitting, to the first plurality of mobile devices, a command to delete the firmware update.   
     
     
         22 . The method of  claim 21 , wherein the first plurality of mobile devices is a subset of a second plurality of mobile devices having access rights to the reader device. 
     
     
         23 . The method of  claim 22 , further comprising selecting the first plurality of mobile devices from the second plurality of mobile devices. 
     
     
         24 . The method of  claim 23 , wherein selecting the first plurality of mobile devices from the second plurality of mobile devices comprises selecting the first plurality of mobile devices from the second plurality of mobile devices based upon a frequency of interaction with the reader device. 
     
     
         25 . The method of  claim 24 , wherein selecting the first plurality of mobile devices from the second plurality of mobile devices based upon a frequency of interaction with the reader device comprises selecting as the first plurality of mobile devices at least two mobile devices that interact with the reader device more frequently than other mobile devices of the second plurality of mobile devices. 
     
     
         26 . The method of  claim 21 , further comprising transmitting, by the reader device and independently of the access control information and the firmware update, audit information from the reader device to one or more of the second plurality of mobile devices. 
     
     
         27 . The method of  claim 26 , further comprising:
 receiving, by the reader device, a notification that the audit information has been received at a server; and   ceasing transmission of the audit information in response to receiving the notification.   
     
     
         28 . The method of  claim 21 , wherein the reader device is an electronic lock. 
     
     
         29 . A method of operating an access control system comprising an electronic lock, a server, and a plurality of mobile devices having access rights to the electronic lock, wherein the plurality of mobile devices comprises a first mobile device and a second mobile device, the method comprising:
 receiving, by each mobile device of the plurality of mobile devices, a firmware update for the reader device, wherein each mobile device stores the firmware update for the reader device in memory of the mobile device;   in response to the first mobile device interacting with the electronic lock, transmitting the firmware update from the first mobile device to the electronic lock;   receiving, by the first mobile device and from the electronic lock, a confirmation that the firmware update was successful;   transmitting, by the first mobile device to the server, a notification message indicating that the firmware update of the reader device was successful; and   receiving, by the second mobile device, a command to delete the firmware update from memory.   
     
     
         30 . The method of  claim 29 , wherein the first mobile device interacts with the electronic lock prior to the second mobile device interacting with the electronic lock. 
     
     
         31 . The method of  claim 29 , wherein the command is transmitted by the server in response to receiving the notification message. 
     
     
         32 . The method of  claim 29 , further comprising transmitting the command by the server in response to receiving the notification message. 
     
     
         33 . The method of  claim 29 , further comprising receiving, by the first mobile device, the command to delete the firmware update from memory. 
     
     
         34 . The method of  claim 29 , further comprising transmitting, by the electronic lock and in response to the second mobile device interacting with the electronic lock, audit information to the second mobile device. 
     
     
         35 . The method of  claim 29 , wherein the plurality of mobile devices further includes a third mobile device, the method further comprising:
 selecting the first mobile device and the second mobile device from the plurality of mobile devices based upon frequencies with which the plurality of mobile devices interact with the electronic lock, and wherein the third mobile device interacts with the electronic lock less frequently than each of the first mobile device and the second mobile device; and   by the server, selectively transmitting the firmware update to the first mobile device and the second mobile device and not to the third mobile device.   
     
     
         36 . The method of  claim 29 , wherein the second mobile device interacts with the electronic lock prior to receiving the command to delete the firmware from memory, and transmits the firmware update to the electronic lock upon interacting with the electronic lock. 
     
     
         37 . The method of  claim 29 , wherein the firmware update does not pertain to a particular mobile device. 
     
     
         38 . The method of  claim 29 , wherein the first mobile device receives the firmware update via a first wireless communication protocol and transmits the firmware update to the electronic lock via a second wireless communication protocol different from the first wireless communication protocol. 
     
     
         39 . The method of  claim 38 , wherein the second wireless communication protocol is a near field communication protocol. 
     
     
         40 . The method of  claim 29 , further comprising transmitting audit information from the electronic lock to each mobile device that interacts with the electronic lock until the electronic lock receives a notification that the audit information was received at the server.