Wireless camera facilitated building security

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9734644-B2
Application number	US-201514695901-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Apr 24, 2015
Priority date	Apr 25, 2014
Publication date	Aug 15, 2017
Grant date	Aug 15, 2017

Abstract

A security system permits limited access into a building for authorized visitors. The security system includes an access interface pad installable at a building entryway and a camera device releasably secured to the access interface pad with an anchor. The anchor allows the camera device to detach from the access interface pad in response building access being authorized by the security system so that an authorized visitor can wear the camera device while in the secured building. The security system can both communicate with a remote device so that data captured by the camera can be transmitted to a user in real time and automatically analyze information from the camera with respect to certain security parameters.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A security system that authorizes limited access to a building, the security system comprising:
an access interface pad having an input device configured to receive visitor identification information;
a wireless camera device that captures images and wirelessly transmits captured images;
a communication module in communication with the access interface pad and the wireless camera, the communication module configured to communicate wirelessly with a remote computing device; and
an anchor releasably securing the camera device to the access interface pad;

wherein the security system is configured to authorize or deny limited access to the building in response to the access interface pad receiving visitor identification information,
wherein the anchor is controlled to release the camera device from the access interface pad in response to the security system authorizing access to the building,
and wherein the security system is configured to communicate images captured by the released camera device to the remote computing device.

2. The security system of claim 1 , wherein the security system communicates the images to the remote computing device in real time.

3. The security system of claim 1 , wherein the input device comprises at least one of a numeric keypad, a touch sensitive screen, a fingerprint scanner, a retinal scanner, a card scanner, a fob reader, or a digital camera.

4. The security system of claim 1 , wherein the visitor identification information includes an access code entered via the input device.

5. The security system of claim 4 , wherein the security system is configured to authorize limited access into the building when the visitor identification information includes at least one access code that matches a predetermined access code.

6. The security system of claim 1 , wherein the communication module is further configured to receive access instruction signals from the remote computing device, and wherein the security system is configured to authorize limited access in response to the communication module receiving an access instruction signal from the remote computing device.

7. The security system of claim 6 , wherein the visitor identification information includes a building access request, and wherein the security system is configured to communicate the visitor identification information to the remote computing device in response to the access interface pad receiving a building access request.

8. The security system of claim 7 , wherein the access interface pad further comprises an audio communication system comprising a microphone and a speaker, wherein the audio communication system and the communication module enable real time audio communication between the access interface pad and the remote computing device.

9. The security system of claim 1 , wherein, during the time period when building limited access is authorized, the camera device continually or periodically captures images and the security system continually or periodically communicates the captured images to the remote computing device.

10. The security system of claim 1 , wherein the camera device comprises an attachment mechanism that facilitates attaching the camera device a visitor that has been authorized access to the building.

11. The security system of claim 10 , wherein the camera device comprises a sensor that detects whether the camera is attached to or detached from a person.

12. The security system of claim 11 , wherein the sensor is configured to measure at least one of body capacitance and body heat to detect whether the camera device is attached to or detached from the person based on the measured body capacitance or body heat.

13. The security system of claim 11 , wherein the security system is configured to activate an alarm in response to the sensor detecting that the camera device has been detached from a person.

14. The security system of claim 1 , wherein the camera device comprises a vibration sensor that detects movement of the camera device, wherein the camera device is configured to communicate information from the vibration sensor to the communication module.

15. The security system of claim 14 , wherein the security system is configured to activate at least one security protocol in response to the camera device communicating information from the vibration sensor indicating that the camera device has not moved for a time period exceeding a minimum threshold.

16. The security system of claim 1 , wherein the security system is configured to activate at least one security protocol in response to the camera device not being returned to the access interface pad within a predetermined period of time.

17. The security system of claim 1 , wherein the camera device includes a tracking device, wherein the security system is configured to use the tracking device to detect a separation distance between the camera device and the access interface pad, and wherein the security system is configured to activate at least one security protocol in response to the security system detecting that the separation distance between the camera device and the access interface pad exceeded a predetermined limit.

18. The security system of claim 1 , wherein the security system is configured to at least one of unlock or open a door positioned in the entryway.

19. The security system of claim 18 , wherein the security system is configured to unlock or open the door in response to the communication module receiving an open instruction from the remote computing device.

20. A method of authorizing limited access to a building, the method comprising:
receiving visitor identification information via an access interface pad that includes a wireless camera device releasably secured to the pad via an anchor;
determining whether to authorize limited access to the building based at least in part on the visitor identification information received via the access interface pad;
in response to determining to authorize access to the building, activating the anchor to release the camera device from the access interface pad and beginning a period of authorized limited access;
detecting whether the camera device has been attached on a person;
in response to detecting that the camera device has been attached on a person, temporarily deactivating at least one building security measure;
capturing digital images with the camera device during the period of authorized limited access; and
communicating information obtained by the camera device to a remote computing device.

21. The method of claim 20 , further comprising:
detecting whether at least one safety criteria has been violated; and
in response to detecting that a safety criteria has been violated, activating at least one safety protocol.

22. The method of claim 21 , wherein the determining whether at least safety criteria has been violated comprises detecting a separation distance between the camera device and the access interface pad, monitoring a time period that the camera device has been removed from the access interface pad, and monitoring a time that the camera device is not moving.

23. The method of claim 20 , wherein temporarily deactivating at least one building security measure includes at least one of deactivating a building security alarm, unlocking a door to the building, and opening a door to the building.

Assignees

• Chamberlain Group Inc

Inventors

• Samad Zeina Abdul
• Soparawala Neeraj
• Liu Kejia

Classifications

• G08B13/19695

  Arrangements wherein non-video detectors start video recording or forwarding but do not generate an alarm themselves · CPC title

• H04N7/186 Primary

  Video door telephones · CPC title

• G07C9/253 Primary

  visually · CPC title

• G07C9/00079 Primary

  Physics · mapped topic