The invention relates to a door access control system for automatic doors according to the preamble of claim 1 and a method for controlling automatic doors according to claim 14.

Today one finds several different technical solutions on the market for opening a door for authorized persons. These technical solutions require an identification of the accessing person or object.

Especially in areas where automatic industrial doors are operated, for example on industrial premises, wireless authorization methods are preferred against entering key-codes or retina scanning.

Therefore, it is now state of the art that one can gain authorized access by using remote controls, which are often wireless. These devices provide an access control function where an authorization signal is registered in a receiving part of the access control equipment. These devices are generally "knowing act" devices, which means they allow activating the opening of the door with pushing a button on a remote control. Alternatively the authorization signal may be permanently transmitted but the power efficiency of such an approach is very poor.

Advantage of these remote controls is that they allow activating the opening of a door from a reasonable distance. But this advantage may also be a drawback, especially in the environment of industrial premises, where multiple doors are positioned in proximity to each other. In this case, when a person activates an authorized remote control, all the doors within a wide range of the remote control signal, where the authorization signal of the remote control is registered, are activated, In this case, several doors are opened although an accessing target only wants to open a single door. These unwanted movements of the doors consume a lot of energy on the one hand and lead to a lack in security on the other hand. Furthermore, every unwanted door motion increases the mechanical impact on the door parts unnecessarily. It is object of the invention to allow authorized access to a building or area in a most convenient and energy saving way.

"Door" in the scope of this invention has to be understood as any type of automatically movable blocking means, like, for example, gates or barriers for pedestrian and/or industrial doors.

It is state of the art that a door access control system for automatic doors comprises a remote receiver hand and a mobile remote transmitter that is able to transmit an authorization signal which is received by the remote control, where the authorization signal is acting as a key to initiate the movement of the door. The remote receiver is, furthermore, connected to a control unit that initiates the movement of the door, if the received authorization signal of the mobile remote transmitter device is registered in the control unit or the remote receiver and is therefore valid.

The door access control system according to the invention comprises an additional monitoring device, which monitors the area within its monitoring range and detects the motion and/or presence of an accessing target in this area. According to the invention, the monitoring device is also connected to the control unit that initiates movement of the door under the condition that the received authorization signal is valid and an accessing target is detected within the monitoring range.

The monitoring device may, therefore, be embodied as motion sensor and as a consequence, access may be granted only in case a motion of the accessing target is detected. Alternatively, the monitoring device may be embodied as presence detector.

In a further example, the monitoring device may either be embodied as a microwave sensor to detect motion of a target or may be embodied as a presence sensing infrared sensor to detect the presence of a target. Furthermore, the monitoring device may also be embodied as a dual scanner comprising a microwave unit and an infrared unit to detect both, motion and presence of an object. Since the monitoring range can be adjusted to a very specific range in front of the door, only the related door that detects an accessing target within its monitoring range and receives the authorization signal of the remote transmitting device will open. According to the invention, the drawbacks mentioned above can be overcome. Indeed, the neighboring doors would not open, as long as they do not detect the motion and/or presence of an accessing target in their monitored area, although they may receive the authorization signal. Therefore, the unwanted door movements are reduced significantly. So, energy-consumption and mechanical impacts are reduced as well. A door movement in the context of the invention is generally related to an opening or a closure of a door.

In a further embodiment, the remote transmitting device may comprise a sensing circuit, where the transmission of the authorization signal is triggered, once radiation of the monitoring device is detected. The monitoring device may advantageously be embodied as a microwave radar device, where the sensing circuit is sensitive to microwave radiation. Hence transmission of the authorization signal is triggered, once a microwave radiation is sensed by the sensing circuit of the remote transmitting device.

Furthermore, the authorization signal can be transmitted as long as monitoring radiation is sensed by the sensing circuit of the remote transmitting device.

Transmitting the authorization signal, once a monitoring radiation is received, improves the convenience of the accessing person, since a "knowing act" is no longer required. This means there is no longer a need for manually pushing a remote control button to transmit the authorization signal. On the other hand, the lifetime of the remote control battery is increased, since there is no need for permanently emitting the authorization signal to spare an accessing person to manually push the remote control button frequently.

In further improvement of the invention, the radar device may be embodied as a Doppler radar device and, therefore, be able to detect the moving direction of a target. According to this, the control unit may be programmed in a way that the movement of the door is only initiated, once an approaching target is detected. This has the advantage that if a target, carrying the mobile remote transmitter, passes by a door within the radar monitoring range, the door movement will not be initiated, although an authorization signal might be triggered by the radar radiation. Therefore, the door movement is only initiated if an approaching target is detected, and not for all targets only passing by the door. Advantageously it is adjustable which moving direction counts as approaching and which as passing by.

In a further aspect of the invention the authorization signal may be designed as remote identifier code. This code may be transmitted via a RF signal. RF transmission of a remote identifier code is a well- known technique and a standard, for example, for gaining authorized access to garage doors. It is rather cheap and has a wide transmission range.

In a further improvement of the invention, the monitoring device, especially a radar device, may comprise a modulation unit which allows modulating the microwave radiation specifically for each door. According to the modulation of the microwave radiation, an access control signature can be generated that is dedicated to a specific door.

The mobile remote transmitting device, therefore, may comprise a microwave sensing circuit that allows decoding the access control signature encoded by the modulation unit.

In this case, the authorization signal is designed in a way that it is related to the remote identifier code of the mobile remote transmitter as well as the decoded access control signature. The door control unit is programmed in a way that the movement of the door is only initiated if the authorization signal is valid.

The authorization signal, for example, may directly comprise the remote identifier and the decoded access control signature. Furthermore, the authorization signal may be generated in a way that it is computed through a smart combination encryption algorithm that is starting from the remote identifier and the decoded access control signature. The algorithm combines a fixed remote identifier and signature using known encryption method so that the authorization signal is never twice the same. So if somebody catches the signal and tries to duplicate it, the system will not react anyway.

As a consequence, encryption of the submitted identifiers enhances the security level of the access control system. In the case the door has a dedicated access control signature, the door movement will only be initiated if the remote identifier code of the mobile remote transmitter is registered and if the access control signature is dedicated to the door or radar device which is connected to the control unit.

This embodiment has the advantage that an unwanted movement of the door can be avoided in a case, where a first accessing target is within the radar detection range of a first door, and it transmits its remote identifier code also to a neighboring second door. If a second target moved within the radar detection range of the second door without the access control signature, the second door would initiate an unwanted door movement even if the second target had no authorization for accessing the second door. In a further embodiment according to the invention, the monitoring device as well as the remote receiver may be assembled in a structural unit. In a further embodiment, the remote receiver, the monitoring device and the control unit may be assembled in a structural unit.

In a further advantageous embodiment, the remote receiver and the control unit and the radar device are positioned in proximity to or on the doorframe.

Furthermore, the invention relates to a method controlling the movement of an automatic door for accessing targets, where a wireless authorization signal is received and where an area in front of the door is monitored. The movement of the door will only be initiated if the received wirelessly transmitted authorization signal is valid and an accessing target is detected within the monitored area.

In a further aspect of the invention, the area in front of the door may be monitored by a radar device, especially a microwave radar device. Advantageously, the transmission of the wireless authorization signal will be triggered if an accessing target resides within the monitored area. A transmission will start, once a monitoring signal is received. It is also possible that transmission of the wireless authorization signal takes place as long as a monitoring radiation is received. The wireless authorization signal may be designed in a way that it carries a bit signature of a remote identifier code. A remote identifier code may be valid for granting access if it is registered with a receiving unit or a control unit. In another aspect of the invention, an access control signature, related to a specific door may be transmitted within the monitored area, and the authorization signal may carry the information of the access control signature as well as the remote identification code.

In a further aspect of the invention, the monitoring signal is modulated in a way that it emits an access control signature that relates to the door where the area in front of this door is monitored. The authorization signal is composed of this access control signature and a remote identification code.

Further advantages, features and potential applications of the present invention may be gathered from the description which follows, in conjunction with the embodiments illustrated in the drawings.

Throughout the description, the claims and the drawings, those terms and associated reference signs will be used as are notable from the enclosed list of reference signs. In the drawings

Fig. 1 shows a schematic top view of industrial premises comprising three doors with one accessing target;

Fig. 2 shows a schematic front view of an automatic door;

Fig. 3 shows a schematic front view of an automatic door with door identification;

Fig. 4 shows a flowchart of a general accessing method;

Fig. 5 shows a flowchart of authorization process with moving direction detection;

Fig, 6 shows a schematic flowchart of authorization process with remote transmission, and shows a flowchart of authorization process with remote transmission requiring and access control signature. Fig. 1 shows industrial premises with three automatic doors 10, 12, 14 in top view. Furthermore, there is an accessing target 16 carrying a mobile remote control 18. The range of the mobile remote control 20 is schematically shown as dashed circle. According to the invention, there are monitoring areas 22, 24, 26 in front of the automatic doors 10, 12, 14 where an accessing target 16 can be detected when it resides within this area. For monitoring this area, each access control system for each door comprises a microwave radar device 28, 30, 32. Beside the microwave radar device 28, 30, 32 each door 10, 12, 14 comprises a remote receiver 34, 36, 38. The remote receiver 34 and the microwave radar device 28 are connected to a control unit 40. The radar devices 30, 32 as well as the remote receivers 36, 38 are connected to the control unit 42, 44 in the same way.

According to the invention, the industrial door 12 will open when all necessary conditions are met. First, the remote identifier has to be valid and the accessing target 16 has to be detected within the monitored area 24, then the movement of the door will be initiated. The accessing target 16 resides within the monitoring range 24 and can therefore be detected. The remote control 18 emits a RF signal which carries the identification code of the remote control 18. This signal, in the following called authorization signal, is received by the remote receiver 36 where the identification code is submitted to the control unit 42. The control unit 42 verifies if the received authorized signals is registered as authorized code.

Further embodiments are shown and explained in the following Figures.

Fig. 2 shows a schematic view of an automatic door 50, where a microwave radar device 52 and a remote receiver 54 are mounted above the door frame. Furthermore, there is an accessing target 16 carrying a mobile remote transmitter 56, which comprises a transmitting unit 58 and a microwave sensing circuit 60.

In this embodiment, the radar device 52 emits an electromagnetic radiation which is sensed by the microwave sensing circuit 60. Once the microwave radiation is sensed, the remote identifier is transmitted via the transmitting unit 58 of the mobile remote transmitter 56.

This embodiment has the advantage that for meeting the conditions that the door motion is initiated, the accessing target or person does not need to manually push a remote control button to identify the remote control, once it is within the monitoring range. Instead of manually pushing the button, the transmission of the remote identifier code is automatically triggered due to sensing the radiation, which is emitted by the monitoring device, i.e. a microwave radar device. The remote identifier code is then received by the remote receiver 54 and submitted to the control unit (not shown). The door control unit knows about the registered remote identifier code. In this case, the door movement will only be initiated if the remote identifier can be verified with the registered remote identifier codes.

According to this embodiment, the authorization signal is only transmitted when the remote control resides within the monitored area. The transmission is triggered automatically due to the received microwave electromagnetic radiation.

Fig. 3 shows a schematic view of an automatic door 70, wherein the monitoring device is embodied as microwave radar device 72, which is mounted above the door frame of the automatic door 70. In difference to the example explained in Fig. 2 in this case the electromagnetic radiation emitted by the microwave radar device is modulated in a way that it carries a door identifier code, dedicated to the specific door 70 or radar device 72. The door access control system according to this embodiment also comprises a remote receiver 74. Furthermore, the access control system also comprises a remote transmitter 76 which comprises a transmission unit 78 and a microwave sensing circuit 80.

In difference to the example explained in Fig. 2, the microwave sensing circuit 80 is no longer solely responsible for triggering the remote identifier transmission , but also decodes the door identifier code transmitted via radar radiation. In this case, the authorization code emitted by the transmission unit 78 is composed of the remote identifier dedicated to the remote transmitter 76 as well as the door identifier code extracted of the radar radiation. This combined authorization signal is received by the remote receiver 74 and submitted to the control unit (not shown). The control unit knows about the door identifier as well as the registered remote identifier codes. In this case, the door movement is only initiated if the door identifier transmitted in the authorization signal is the same as the one dedicated to the door, and if the remote identifier can be verified with the registered remote identifier codes.

This has the advantage that, as shown in Fig. 1 , when an accessing target 16 resides or moves in the monitoring area 24, only the approached door 12 will open, although the authorization signal is also received by the remote receiver 38 of the neighboring door 14, even under the circumstance that another target is detected in the monitoring area 26 of the door 14. This embodiment of the access control system eliminates unwanted door movements, and, therefore, reduces energy-consumption and mechanical impacts on the automatic door. This solution also enhances the security level of the access control system.

The following Figures 4 to 7 show flowcharts according to the movement procedure.

Fig. 4 shows the basic process for controlling the door movement according to the invention, In this case, a monitoring device is in a scanning mode. It scans a defined area and checks if a target is detected within the monitoring range. If a target is detected in this monitoring area, the monitoring device submits a "targeted in range" signal to the control unit.

On the other hand, the remote receiver listens to receive an authorization signal. Once an authorization signal is received, it is checked if the received authorization signal is valid. This is the case, if the received remote identifier code is registered with the access control system. Only if a target is in range and the authorization signal is valid, the door movement is initiated. Otherwise, the authorization signal is discarded and the door movement is not initiated. If more than one authorization signals are received, it is sufficient that at least one authorization signal is valid to initiate the movement of the door, under condition that a target is detected within the monitoring range.

In a preferred arrangement, the remote receiver may be activated to listen to an eventual authorization signal only if the monitoring device is detecting a target within its monitoring area. The main benefit of such an arrangement is the saving of power as the remote control receiver will be enabled and, therefore, will consume power only, when a target is detected in the monitored area by the monitoring device.

Such an arrangement will be preferably appropriate in case of a preferred embodiment in which both, the monitoring device and the remote receiver, are enclosed in a common structural unit.

Fig. 5 shows an improvement of a method to control authorized door access. In difference to the example explained in Fig. 4, in this example the monitoring device also determines if a target within the monitoring range is really approaching the door or only passing by the door. In order to determine an approaching target, distance and moving direction are determined and compared to predefined distance - - and direction fields. Only if the distance and moving angle in respect to the door meet the predefined requirements, a "target approaching condition" is met. Also in this case, for initiating the movement of the door it is still necessary that the remote receiver receives the valid authorization signal as described in Fig, 4. The authorization signal in this case contains a remote identifier code.

Fig. 6 shows a further development of the controlled access method. In this case, a mobile remote control is carried with the accessing target and triggered by received radiation, which is emitted by a monitoring device. Once the mobile remote control receives the monitoring radiation, it starts emitting the authorization signal. In this case, the authorization signal consists of the remote identifier code. Once the

authorization signal is emitted, the process is identical to the one explained in Fig. 4.

Fig. 7 shows a further improved process. In this case, the monitoring device, especially a radar device, emits modulated radiation which carries a door identifier code. With scanning the monitoring area, the device also provides a door identifier code without additional devices. The remote transmitter receives this radiation and demodulates the received signal to the door identifier code.

In another step, the door identifier code is combined with the remote identifier code and transmitted to the remote receiver. Once the authorization signal is detected by the remote receiver, it is checked, if the submitted door identifier code matches the door identifier code of the door access system, and if the transmitted remote identifier code is registered with the door access control system. If both conditions are met, the authorization signal is said valid. As described in the preceding figures, the door movement process is initiated if the authorization signal is valid and the target is in a detection range.

According to this method, only the door which triggers the transmission of the authorization signal will open. Neighboring doors, therefore, are not influenced and there will be no unwanted movement of those neighboring doors. This is most energy efficient and guarantees a high security level. List of reference signs

10 automatic door

12 automatic door

14 automatic door

16 accessing target

18 mobile remote control

20 range of mobile remote control

22 monitoring area

24 monitoring area

26 monitoring area

28 radar device

30 radar device

32 radar device

34 remote receiver

36 remote receiver

38 remote receiver

40 control unit

42 control unit

44 control unit

50 automatic door

52 radar device

54 remote receiver

56 mobile remote transmitter

58 transmitting unit

60 sensing circuit

70 automatic door microwave radar device remote receiver mobile remote transmitter transmission unit microwave sensing circuit

10