Ever lose your hotel keycard? Ever have it get de-magnetized? Both of these are simple to resolve – just go to the front desk – but wouldn’t it be better if you didn’t need to worry so much about the darn things? Nokia is working with VingCard to allow you to use your cellphone to open your hotel door.
As described in the video above, the goal is to allow frequent guests to bypass the front desk for check-in altogether. The guest can register online and get an SMS sent to their phone from which they install a small application. Then they simply go to their hotel room and use their phone to unlock the door! No more lost cards! When the guest checks out, the RFID-enabled lock resets to a new code, making sure that the previous occupant can no longer gain access.
The key part of this technology is the near field communication (NFC) chip, which isn’t largely deployed in cell phones yet. These locks aren’t likely to become commonplace for awhile, but I think it’ll be an extremely popular addition to hotels.
It is my understanding that this has been in Japan for a while now. NFC’s are just not common in the US/UK. Also, NFC has a pretty limited lifespan in my opinion. Bluetooth can do the same thing, and it’s already in nearly every device.
Yeah… whenever we post anything like “oh, you can scan barcodes/buy things online/video chat with your cell phone,” it’s always pointed out that japan has been doing it for years. depressing, really.
That sounds really cool….RFID however is a futuristic technology and there are a good many problems with it…so I guess it will take time
Im sure ive seen this done before with standard bluetooth
Im sure ive seen this done before with standard bluetooth phones
I think you’re right a company Called ECKey ( http://www.ECKey.com ), They do it without the need to install anything on the phone. Use one of their Bluetooth Relays and you’re sweet, your Bluetooth phone will work out of the box. COOOOOOOOOOOOOOOL
Your correct. ECKey does this and more…For example of an application, you can turn your phone into a security keypad with ECKey EK2 to unlock your house or office, open your garage door or gate, or disarm your alarm system. Walk up to a door with ECKey installed, you will be asked for a PIN on your discoverable using Bluetooth® phone. Enter the correct PIN and the door will unlock for 5 seconds. Instead of installing a keypad, just install ECKey EK2 and use your phone keypad instead. Features include user configurable PIN and configurable range at 6 feet or 30 feet. Other products available with variable pulse length, 1000 user hands free access, automatic range control, time of day access, audit, user management, automotive solutions and connectivity to access control systems.