Wireless access credential system

Abstract

An access control system and methods according to at least one embodiment leverage wireless access credentials to allow a user to securely gain access to a secured area using his or her mobile device. As such, a credentialed mobile device may permit access to the secured area without requiring a real-time connection to a credential management system and/or an administrative system.

1 .- 20 . (canceled) 
     
     
         21 . An access control edge device for simultaneous connectivity, the access control edge device comprising:
 a Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) communication circuitry;   a processor; and   a memory comprising a plurality of instructions stored thereon that, in response to execution by the processor, causes the access control edge device to:   establish a first persistent communication connection with a first device using the BLE communication circuitry; and   establish a second persistent communication connection with a second device using the BLE communication circuitry without dropping the first persistent communication connection with the first device.   
     
     
         22 . The access control edge device of  claim 21 , wherein the first device comprises a gateway device; and
 wherein the second device comprises a mobile device.   
     
     
         23 . The access control edge device of  claim 22 , wherein the memory comprises a local access control database; and
 wherein the plurality of instructions further causes the access control edge device to (i) receive a BLE access credential from the mobile device while simultaneously receiving a real-time update from a host server via the gateway device and (ii) perform an access control decision based on the BLE access credential and the local access control database.   
     
     
         24 . The access control edge device of  claim 22 , wherein the plurality of instructions further causes the access control edge device to transmit, via the BLE communication circuitry, a BLE advertisement to remote devices in a vicinity of the access control edge device while the first persistent communication connection is established; and
 wherein to establish the second persistent communication connection with the second device comprises to establish the second persistent communication connection with the mobile device in response to receipt of the BLE advertisement by the mobile device.   
     
     
         25 . The access control edge device of  claim 24 , wherein the plurality of instructions further causes the access control edge device to (i) receive a BLE access credential from the mobile device via the second persistent communication connection and (ii) transmit the BLE access credential to an access control system via the first persistent communication connection with the gateway device to perform an access control decision. 
     
     
         26 . The access control edge device of  claim 21 , further comprising a credential reader. 
     
     
         27 . The access control edge device of  claim 21 , further comprising a physical lock mechanism. 
     
     
         28 . The access control edge device of  claim 21 , wherein the first device comprises a first mobile device; and
 wherein the second device comprises a second mobile device.   
     
     
         29 . The access control edge device of  claim 21 , wherein the first device comprises an administrative device; and
 wherein the second device comprises a user mobile device.   
     
     
         30 . A method for simultaneous connectivity with an access control edge device, the method comprising:
 establishing, by the access control edge device, a first persistent communication connection with a first device using a BLE communication circuitry of the access control edge device; and   establishing, by the access control edge device, a second persistent communication connection with a second device using the BLE communication circuitry without dropping the first persistent communication connection with the first device.   
     
     
         31 . The method of  claim 30 , wherein establishing the first persistent communication connection comprises establishing the first persistent communication connection with a gateway device; and
 wherein establishing the second persistent communication connection comprises establishing the second persistent communication connection with a mobile device without dropping the first persistent communication connection with the first device.   
     
     
         32 . The method of  claim 31 , further comprising:
 receiving, by the access control edge device, a BLE access credential from the mobile device while simultaneously receiving a real-time update from a host server via the gateway device; and   performing, by the access control edge device, an access control decision based on the BLE access credential and a local access control database stored on the access control edge device.   
     
     
         33 . The method of  claim 31 , further comprising transmitting, by the access control edge device using the BLE communication circuitry, a BLE advertisement to remote devices in a vicinity of the access control edge device while the first persistent communication connection with the gateway device is established; and
 wherein establishing the second persistent communication connection with the second device comprises establishing the second persistent communication connection with the mobile device in response to receipt of the BLE advertisement by the mobile device.   
     
     
         34 . The method of claim  13 , further comprising:
 receiving, by the access control edge device, a BLE access credential from the mobile device via the second persistent communication connection; and   transmitting, by the access control edge device, the BLE access credential to an access control system via the first persistent communication connection with the gateway device to perform an access control decision.   
     
     
         35 . The method of  claim 30 , wherein establishing the first persistent communication connection comprises establishing the first persistent communication connection with a first mobile device; and
 wherein establishing the second persistent communication connection comprises establishing the second persistent communication connection with a second mobile device without dropping the first persistent communication connection with the first device.   
     
     
         36 . The method of  claim 30 , wherein establishing the first persistent communication connection comprises establishing the first persistent communication connection with an administrative device; and
 wherein establishing the second persistent communication connection comprises establishing the second persistent communication connection with a user mobile device without dropping the first persistent communication connection with the first device.   
     
     
         37 . One or more non-transitory machine-readable storage media comprising a plurality of instructions stored thereon that, in response to execution by an access control edge device, causes the access control edge device to:
 establish a first persistent communication connection with a first device using a BLE communication circuitry; and   establish a second persistent communication connection with a second device using the BLE communication circuitry without dropping the first persistent communication connection with the first device.   
     
     
         38 . The one or more non-transitory machine-readable storage media of  claim 37 , wherein the first device is a gateway device and the second device is a mobile device. 
     
     
         39 . The one or more non-transitory machine-readable storage media of  claim 38 , wherein the plurality of instructions further causes the access control edge device to:
 receive a BLE access credential from the mobile device while simultaneously receiving a real-time update from a host server via the gateway device; and   perform an access control decision based on the BLE access credential and a local access control database stored on the access control edge device.   
     
     
         40 . The one or more non-transitory machine-readable storage media of  claim 38 , wherein the plurality of instructions further causes the access control edge device to:
 transmit, using the BLE communication circuitry, a BLE advertisement to remote devices in a vicinity of the access control edge device while the first persistent communication connection with the gateway device is established, wherein the second persistent communication connection with the mobile device is established in response to receipt of the BLE advertisement by the mobile device;   receive a BLE access credential from the mobile device via the second persistent communication connection; and   transmit the BLE access credential to an access control system via the first persistent communication connection with the gateway device to perform an access control decision.