Frictionless access control system with ranging camera

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11734978-B2
Application number	US-201715729929-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Oct 11, 2017
Priority date	Oct 11, 2016
Publication date	Aug 22, 2023
Grant date	Aug 22, 2023

Abstract

An access control and user tracking system includes ranging cameras installed in thresholds of access points for generating three dimensional models of users passing through the access points in order to detect unauthorized individuals or hand gestures of the users, which can indicate unsafe conditions or that lights and/or equipment should be turned on. The ranging cameras can be point range finding measurement sensor scanning cameras, structured light cameras, or time of flight cameras and can be installed along the top or in the corners of the thresholds.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An access control and user tracking system for a security system, the access control and user tracking system comprising:
ranging camera units for generating three dimensional models of users passing through access points of the access control and user tracking system; and
a verification and tracking system for analyzing the three dimensional models, wherein the verification and tracking system determines whether any unauthorized individuals are present by determining a quantity of people passing through the access point based on the three dimensional models and comparing the quantity of people passing through the access point to a quantity of authorized users detected in proximity to the access point, wherein each authorized user is detected based on user information transmitted by a mobile device associated with the authorized user.

2. The system as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the ranging camera units comprise point range finding measurement sensor scanning cameras.

3. The system as claimed in claim 2 , wherein the scanning cameras each comprise multiple sensors.

4. The system as claimed in claim 2 , wherein the scanning cameras each comprise a single sensor that is spun in a circular motion and/or reflected with mirrors.

5. The system as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the ranging camera units comprise structured light cameras.

6. The system as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the ranging camera units comprise time of flight cameras.

7. The system as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the ranging camera units are installed along the top of thresholds.

8. The system as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the ranging camera units are installed in corners of thresholds.

9. The system as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the verification and tracking system analyzes the three dimensional models to detect hand gestures of the users indicating unsafe conditions and/or to turn on lights and/or equipment.

10. The system as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the ranging camera units generate the three dimensional models of the users passing through the access point by determining a distance between a top of a threshold of the access point and a surface of the user passing through the threshold.

11. The system as claimed in claim 10 , wherein:
the ranging camera units are point range finding measurement sensor scanning cameras that are installed in the top of the threshold facing toward a bottom of the threshold and/or outwards at an angle;
one or more sensors of the point range finding measurement sensor scanning cameras gather data from numerous points across or directly in front of the threshold for every individual passing through the threshold, the gathered data including data representing distances at each sampling point from the top of the threshold to a surface of the individual passing through the threshold; and
the three dimensional models are generated based on the data gathered by the one or more sensors.

12. The system as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the verification tracking system detects the presence of unauthorized individuals based on whether the quantity of people passing through the access point is greater than a number of authorized users detected within proximity of a positioning unit of the access control and user tracking system.

13. The system as claimed in claim 12 , wherein the positioning units receive packet data from user devices via one or more antennas of the positioning units and calculate location data for the user devices indicating ranges and/or directions of the user devices via one or more positioning techniques.

14. The system as claimed in claim 13 , wherein the verification and tracking system accesses authorization information to determine whether the users of the user devices are authorized users, who are authorized to transit the access point.

15. The system as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the verification and tracking system detects tailgating activity by detecting whether the unauthorized individuals are passing through the access point in close physical proximity to the authorized users based on the quantity of people determined to be passing through the access point and the three dimensional models.

16. The system as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the verification and tracking system generates an alarm signal in response to detecting the presence of unauthorized individuals.

17. The system as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the verification and tracking system sends a door control signal to a door controller to enable access to a restricted area in response to the user being an authorized user and if no unauthorized users are present.

18. A method for controlling access to access points of an access control and user tracking system for a security system, the method comprising:
ranging camera units generating three dimensional models of users passing through the access points; and
a verification and tracking system analyzing the three dimensional models, wherein the verification and tracking system determines whether any unauthorized individuals are present by determining a quantity of people passing through the access point based on the three dimensional models and comparing the quantity of people passing through the access point to a quantity of authorized users detected in proximity to the access point, wherein each authorized user is detected based on user information transmitted by a mobile device associated with the authorized user.

19. The method as claimed in claim 18 , wherein the ranging camera units comprise point range finding measurement sensor scanning cameras.

20. The method as claimed in claim 19 , wherein the scanning cameras each comprise multiple sensors.

21. The method as claimed in claim 19 , wherein the scanning cameras each comprise a single sensor that is spun in a circular motion and/or reflected with mirrors.

22. The method as claimed in claim 18 , wherein the ranging camera units comprise structured light cameras.

23. The method as claimed in claim 18 , wherein the ranging camera units comprise time of flight cameras.

24. The method as claimed in claim 18 , wherein the ranging camera units are installed along the top of thresholds.

25. The method as claimed in claim 18 , wherein the ranging camera units are installed in corners of thresholds.

26. The method as claimed in claim 18 , further comprising the verification and tracking system analyzing the three dimensional models to detect hand gestures of the users indicating unsafe conditions and/or to turn on lights and/or equipment.

Assignees

• Sensormatic Electronics Llc
• Johnson Controls Tyco IP Holdings LLP

Inventors

• Esposito Robert
• Trani James

Classifications

• G07C9/257 Primary

  electronically (G07C9/26 takes precedence) · CPC title

• G01C3/02

  Details · CPC title

• G06F3/017

  Gesture based interaction, e.g. based on a set of recognized hand gestures (interaction based on gestures traced on a digitiser G06F3/04883) · CPC title

• G06V20/52

  Surveillance or monitoring of activities, e.g. for recognising suspicious objects (recognising microscopic objects G06V20/69) · CPC title

• G06V20/64

  Three-dimensional [3D] objects · CPC title