HID Global and ASSA ABLOY strengthen patent portfolio in NFC technology

IRVINE, USA & STOCKHOLM, SWEDEN: HID Global announced that the company and its parent, ASSA ABLOY, have been notified by the United States Patent Office that their patent, US 2008/0163361, titled “Method and Apparatus for Making a Decision on a Card,” has been allowed and will issue shortly. This invention covers the use of portable credentials in a secure access network, in which the access decision can be made within a portable credential (such as the secure element of a mobile device) using data and algorithms stored within the credential.

The patent complements an earlier patent, US 7,706,778, titled “System and Method for Remotely Assigning and Revoking Access Credentials Using a Near Field Communication Equipped Mobile Phone,” which issued last year. Both patents are part of HID Global’s rapidly growing investment in developing mobile access solutions using Near Field Communications (NFC) technology.

“As a trusted leader in solutions for the delivery of secure identity, HID Global and ASSA ABLOY invested heavily in developing an extensive intellectual property portfolio to protect our investment in state-of-the-art, industry-leading products,” said Denis Hebert, president and CEO, HID Global. “We remain focused on continuing to expand the size and breadth of our patent portfolio. These latest additions strengthen HID’s IP and patent portfolio with two more core patents for physical and logical access control on mobile platforms.”

HID Global and ASSA ABLOY have created one of the industry’s most extensive IP, product and service portfolios targeted at physical and logical access applications on traditional cards and readers, as well as emerging mobile access platforms including NFC-enabled smartphones and other portable devices. This extensive portfolio also allows HID Global and ASSA ABLOY to continue to innovate and meet the growing demand for converged physical and logical access solutions that require a broad range of user authentication products and technologies.

“HID is excited to be issued these patents, which protect key innovations in our recently announced iCLASS Secure Identity Object-Enabled (iCLASS SE) access control solutions and Trusted Identity Platform,” commented Dr. Tam Hulusi, senior VP of strategic innovation with HID Global. “Our large IP portfolio includes many patents that are essential to industry standards such as those established by Global Platform, a cross-industry, not-for-profit association that identifies, develops and publishes specifications to facilitate the secure and interoperable deployment and management of multiple embedded applications on secure chip technology. We invite interested companies to contact us to discuss the opportunity of licensing applicable IP from us.”

ASSA ABLOY’s and HID Global’s patent portfolio currently consists of over 500 issued worldwide patents and over 300 pending patent applications plus foreign patents and applications. The portfolio also includes IP from the company’s recent acquisitions of Lasercard and Actividentity, as well as ActivIdentity’s earlier acquisition of Corestreet, whose patent portfolio is also heavily oriented towards physical and logical access control. This extensive patent portfolio addresses almost every major door, lock and access control market.