I am a developing a new concept and need some feedback. This product could be integrated into a common device. It would use some proprietary RFID technology to to link all of your access control applications together.

For example if you live in an apartment, your Uni-Key would access the building, your specific apartment, your mail box, the gym, the elavator, etc. You could use it to access your work place, your vehicle, etc.

I know you are concerned with security as am I. All steps will be taken to insure the utmost in security.

Good shit man...far out!

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This product could be integrated into a common device. It would use some proprietary RFID technology to to link all of your access control applications together.

Huhhhhhh......you going eat those chips

Interesting....but what about the upmost in backup, in case it fails?

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For example if you live in an apartment, your Uni-Key would access the building, your specific apartment, your mail box, the gym, the elavator, etc. You could use it to access your work place, your vehicle, etc.

It would be great to have a "uni-key" that would replace all the keys on my keyring. But, wouldn't this require replacing all of the locks? ...in the building, apartment, mail box, gym, elevator, work place, vehicle, etc? If so, retrofitting would be the prohibitive hurdle.

If a new standard gets adopted for the future, I'd rather have it use a thumbprint reader or something of the like so I didn't have to carry any kind of key at all.

Sounds good to me except that everyone would have to agree on a standard, and with a single standard, there is a lot of competition and the profit on the locks/keys would go to zero pretty quickly. So unless you want to start making locks for every application, good luck on making any money. Also, without standardization no one will buy it.

Maybe thats all wrong, I am an engineer, not an economist

-Tony

I sell, service, design and install these systems,

Done well, ain't cheap, but real convenient, particularly for "big brother" ( the guy normally footing the bill ).

Sweet control, "powerful footprints" when things go awry.

John

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It would be great to have a "uni-key" that would replace all the keys on my keyring. But, wouldn't this require replacing all of the locks? ...in the building, apartment, mail box, gym, elevator, work place, vehicle, etc? If so, retrofitting would be the prohibitive hurdle. If a new standard gets adopted for the future, I'd rather have it use a thumbprint reader or something of the like so I didn't have to carry any kind of key at all.

Biometrics for the most part are too slow right now, require a computer support system, and are cost prohibitive for most installations.

I would argue the "standard would cause the price to dropto unprofitable levels". Look at the Windows operating system. It is a pretty standardized system that many people sell systems and software to work with that OS.

If a standard arises then that would allow everyone to have access to such a system. It has already been done in many installations. Many universities use some sort of card system now as well as NASA and many military installations.

My concept would allow the "card" to be installed in many different devices. Cell phones, wheel chairs, watches, walking sticks for blind people, etc. I don't want you to have to carry anymore stuff than you normally do, except for the keys. Get rid of the Janitor's key ring.

I don't see retrofitting as such a big deal. Starting out in a university environment and in new construction would allow early entry into the mass market. Many universities use a bar code system so converting to the contactless system would be a much better way to go. You could also have the cards act in other capacities, such as student ID, debit card, library card, student ticket for sporting events, etc.

I haven't figured out the backup system yet, but battery operation will handle power outages and such. Since the readers are standalone in operation having them all fail at once will be very unlikely.

But I like the criticism. Keep it coming.

The Industry Leader


another choice

So if I lose the "device" someone can get into everything I own?

I design and implement trusted/secure operating systems for a living so I am very concerned about security, both on computers and off. Having a single device that would allow someone to access most everything that I own scares the hell out of me.

Can you give more insight into how you would secure the device so others can't gain access to it if it is lost?

Interesting idea though.

One of the benefits I see with the universal key is the simplicity with which a "key can be invalidated in an emergency. As opposed to calling a locksmith out to re-key all of your locks when your key ring is lost or stolen, you simply make a couple of phone calls and your old key is locked out. Plus with the key being installed in something other than a card it will not be identifiable as and access controller.

My thoughts on data control are:
Data incryption before the card is activated. That way the info is useless except to the system with the coresponding "security token key".

Another way would be a type of challenge and answer type of interaction for the reader and the key.

How often do you lose your cell phone? How about your eyeglasses? Since the device installation is so flexible a theif would have a very hard time figuring out what device was the key.

If you were going to make a chip that would be integrated into other devices like cell phones, etc., you'd need support from manufacturers. With prices of cell phone components priced to the 10ths or 100ths of a cent each, you'd be hard pressed to convince manufacturers to adopt a new technology with no installed base of compatible locks, etc. Cell phones don't exactly have much margin. Its only when you make 10 million of them that you can make money.

As others have pointed out, there are a ton of access control systems out there that do pretty much what you want, though typically with an RFID or barcode or magnetic strip rather than an embedded RFID circuit. These systems are great for a small system such as a university campus, apartment complex, etc. If you want to truly make it universal, everyone would have to adopt the same standard, meaning that the things that set one manufacturer apart form others disappears.

I also suspect that people in charge of security wouldn't like the idea of a totally standard technology because if everyone used it, it would be far more likely for hackers to defeat it. Look at Internet Explorer and Windows. So many people use it that its an attractive item to hack.

I really like the idea of a universal key system, but I think its logistically very unlikely to work well.

The challenge based system already exists as well.

I am not looking to invent a new technology. I am looking to standardize the systems out there now. Then my product would tie it all together.

The UniKey would use passive RFID proximity device. There for it needs no support from other manufactures. ALthough Nokia does offer a cell phone with an RFID device in it. You would simply insert the deive into the cell phone case, or attache it to what ever device it needed to be installed. Since it is not powered it does not require any input from other manufactures.

Microsoft gets hacked all the time becuase it is a shitty product. It is poorly engineered and brilliantly marketed. Hence it is a success.

There are standardized products that do very well, look at the standard lock and key. Pretty standardized. The technology is already out there it just needs to be standardized so that everyone can use the devices.