Description

[0001] The invention relates to access control systems, and particularly relates to an access control system that controls passageways into and out of a secure area.

[0002] Most buildings require some level of access control to prevent parts of the bu ild ing from being accessible to the publ ic. In many bu ild ings this access control is included at the entrance to the building itself. However, many larger buildings have portions of the building that are accessible to the public, while other parts are private and requ ire a certain level of security. It is particularly common for the ground floor or lobby of a large building to be open to the public, but access to the upper floors of the building to be private and secured. To limit access or keep the upper floors of the building secure, many buildings of this type entirely restrict non-authorized individuals from accessing the elevators. To ensure that non-authorized individuals are unable to access the elevator, the building may have barriers or security officers, or a combination of each. Neither of these solutions is ideal.

[0003] Often times tenants of buildings find the use of restrictive barriers to be unsightly. Moreover, depending on the type used, the barriers may hinder foot traffic into and out of the building. To limit the problems associated with restrictive barriers, they are typically kept as small as possible. However, small barriers, for example short turnstiles are not particularly effective at keeping access to an area restricted. Any person determined to enter the restricted area can easily jump over the turnstiles or circumvent the barrier in another manner. Accordingly, such barriers typically have to be coupled with security officers. However, a team of security officers, though effective, is expensive to maintain. Thus, there is a need for an access control system that limits access to the certain floors of a building without requiring restrictive barriers or a large number of security officers.

[0004] International Patent Application Publication No. WO 2010/002378 A1 discloses a security-based elevator control method that operates elevator cars based in part on the determination of a security violation involving one of the elevator cars. The disclosed method uses sensors that detect the presence of an unauthorized user as the user enters the elevator car by crossing a threshold between the landing and the car. A sensor is placed at each elevator car opening. This method requires that the unauthorized person be wearing a detectable identification tag that can be identified by the sensor, such as the identification tag on an infant or medical patient, or a tracking device on an incarcerated individual. Alternatively, an authorized individual, such as a receptionist, may note the presence of an unauthorized user within an elevator car and notify the security-based system. Although a system of this type may be effective at containing known unauthorized persons that are tagged with identification or tracking devices, it is not capable of preventing unknown unauthorized persons from using the elevator system.

[0005] The present invention utilizes controlled passageways that are already available, such as elevators, in cooperation with an access monitoring device to restrict areas of a building from being accessed by non-authorized individuals. In an embodiment, the invention provides an access control system that includes a secure area providing access to one or more controlled passageways. An access monitoring device is used to detect the presence of non-authorized individuals within the secure area and to produce a breach signal upon a detection of non-authorized individuals within the secure area. An access system controller in communication with the access monitoring device initiates a security alert phase upon receiving the breach signal . A controller is then alerted to prevent the non-authorized individuals from leaving the secure area using the one or more controlled passageways.

[0006] In another embodiment, an access control system monitors a secure area including an elevator landing and controls an elevator system having at least one elevator car that is accessible from the elevator landing . Each elevator car of the elevator system has a door at the landing that provides access between the elevator car and the landing. The access control system includes an access monitoring device that detects the presence of non- authorized individuals within the secure area and produces a breach signal upon detecting the non-authorized individual. Upon receiving the breach signal, a security system controller in communication with the security detector initiates a security alert phase. The access control system includes an elevator system controller that monitors each elevator car during the security alert phase to identify elevator cars with doors at the landing which have an open door status. For each elevator car with an open door status during the security alert phase, the system prevents user operation of the elevator car and holds the respective doors open for a remainder of the security alert phase.

[0007] Another embodiment of the invention provides a method of securing an elevator system that includes defining a secure area including an elevator landing providing access to an elevator system including at least one elevator car, monitoring the presence or entry of unauthorized individuals in the secure area, initiating a security alert phase upon detecting the presence or entry of unauthorized individuals in the secure area, monitoring a status of each elevator car in the elevator system during the security alert phase to identify each elevator car having a respective door at the landing with an open door status, preventing user operation of each respective elevator car with a corresponding door having an open door status at the elevator landing and holding the respective door at the landing open for a remainder of the security alert phase.

[0008] Exemplary embodiments of the present invention are described in more detail below with reference to the drawings, in which:

[0009] Fig . 1 is a floor plan view of an area secured by an access control system in accordance with an embodiment of the invention;

[0010] Fig . 2 is a floor plan view of an area secured by an access control system in accordance with another embodiment of the invention;

[0011] Fig . 3 illustrates a commun ication network used with the access control system in accordance with an embodiment of the invention; and

[0012] F ig . 4 shows an em bodiment of a protected entrance used in accordance with an embodiment of the invention.

[0013] Fig. 1 shows a floor plan of an area providing access to a secure elevator system 2. The illustrated elevator system 2 includes six elevators 4 that are accessible from and provide access to a common elevator landing 6. As an example, the area shown in the floor plan of Fig. 1 may be a lobby of a commercial building. The building may include public space and/or retail space, and therefore, portions of the lobby are accessible to the public. For example, in the illustrated building there is public space 8 adjacent to the revolving doors 10 that provide access to the building. The upper floors of the building that are accessible by the elevator cars 4 are typically private or restricted, and therefore are only open to authorized individuals. To maintain the security of the upper floors, the elevator landing 6 is maintained within a secure area 12 that is only accessible by authorized individuals. The term individual, as used herein, includes people and may also include animals, robots and other mobile machinery. Accordingly, the elevator system 2 can secure other floors that are accessible with the elevators from unauthorized people or other threats that are attempting to access the rest of the building using the elevator system 2.

[0014] Access to the secu re a rea 1 2 is screen ed for u n authorized individuals by an access monitoring device 14. In the embodiment shown in Fig . 1 , the access monitoring device 14 includes two protected entrances 16, configured to detect the passing of authorized and unauthorized individuals therethrough. Aside from the elevator cars 4 of the elevator system 2, the protected entrances 16 provide the only other access to the secure area 12. Accordingly, the protected entrances 16 are able to reliably monitor the entry of unauthorized individuals into the secure area 12 from the public space 8. A specific embodiment of a protected entrance 16 using an identification card is described in more detail below. However, other types of access monitoring devices 14 may also be used in connection with the present invention. For example, the protected entrance 16 could identify individuals entering the secure area using biometric identification, such as fingerprint, retina or iris scanning. As another alternative, the access monitoring device 14 could monitor the presence of authorized individuals at any location within the secure area. Such a system could include a device, such as a camera or antenna, to locate any individuals within the secure area 12 and match the individuals with the position of corresponding identification tags, such as an RFID tags. Thus, if the camera or antenna locates a person within the secure area 12 that does not have a corresponding RFID tag, the access monitoring device would identify the person as being unauthorized. Alternatively, the access monitoring device could monitor the entire secure area 12 using biometric data that is recognizable from a distance, such as facial recognition.

[0015] The elevator access control system prevents u nauthorized individuals from accessing other floors of the building by limiting access to the other floors through controlled passageways connecting the secure area 12 with the other floors. In the embodiment shown in Fig. 1 , all of the controlled passageways are elevator cars 4. As discussed in greater detail below, in this embodiment, when the access monitoring device 14 detects that the secure area has been breached by one or more unauthorized individuals, a security alert phase is established and any elevator cars 4 at the landing 6 are prevented from leaving the landing 6 until the breach has been addressed and the security alert phase is ended. However, the access control system of the present invention may also be used with other passageways providing access between the secure area 12 and other floors. For example, in the embodiment of the invention shown in Fig. 2, a doorway 18 provides a passageway from the secure area 12 to a stairwell 20 leading to other floors. In addition to preventing user operation of the elevator cars 4 during a security alert phase, the access control system may also lock the doorway 18 during the security alert phase to prevent unauthorized individuals from accessing the private floors of the building using the stairway 20.

[0016] The present invention al lows the security of a bu i ld i ng to be maintained without requiring constant monitoring of the secure area 12 by one or more security officers. Moreover, because security officers are not needed at each of the entryways to the secure area 12, the secure area 12 can be accessible from a large number of entryways without requiring a large number of security officers. To maintain the security of the area, the access control system can monitor the entire area, using cameras, for example, as described above, or each entryway can be provided with one or more corresponding protected entrances 16. Accordingly, a large building can be kept secure with a much smaller team of security officers. The access control system can also be used with multiple secure areas 12. For example, the access control system could be used with a large building that is occupied by two different tenants and four elevator banks. If three of the elevator banks are used by one tenant and the fourth is used by the other tenant, a first secure area can be defined that includes the elevator landings 6 corresponding to the first three elevator banks and a second security area can be defined that includes the elevator landing 6 corresponding to the fourth elevator bank. The two secure areas 12 can then be treated separately by the security system, and security officers can address security breaches individually in the secure areas in which they occur. On the other hand, the access control system could also be used with a small building having only one elevator. The access control system would allow the security of the small building to be maintained and any security breaches to be addressed by security officers that are located remotely from the building.

[0017] The access control system of an embod i ment of the present invention combines the control of the elevator system 2 with an access controller, as illustrated in Fig. 3, to allow only authorized individuals onto private floors of the building through the elevators or other passageways. The system includes an elevator system controller 24 that communicates with the elevator cars 4 and the elevator doors 26 to control the functions of the elevators. For example, the elevator system controller 24 could be a single dispatching computer that operates the functions of all of the elevators in the entire building, or could be a combination of one or more microprocessors corresponding to each elevator that are in communication. During standard operation, when there is no improper access or no security threat, the elevator system controller 24 operates the elevator cars 4 and elevator doors 26 normally, allowing the operation of the elevators to be governed by the actions of authorized individuals, for example by calling the elevator to certain floors using buttons. At the same time, the security of the elevator system 2 is monitored by an access system controller 22, which communicates with one or more protected entrances 16. For example, the access system controller 22 could be a security computer that is in communication with each of the protected entrances 16 and also in communication with the elevator system controller 24. Alternatively, the access system controller 22 could be formed by a plurality of microprocessors corresponding to each protected entrance 16 that are each in communication with the elevator system controller 24. As another alternative, the access system controller 22 and the elevator system controller 24 may be implemented in a single processing unit that communicates with each of the protected entrances 16 and each of the elevator cars 4.

[0018] If there is no breach of access or secu rity, the access system controller 22 allows the elevator system controller 24 to operate normally. However, if one or more of the protected entrances 16 indicates the entry of non-authorized individuals to the secure area 12, the protected entrance 16 will issue a breach signal to the access system controller 22. In response to receiving the breach signal, the access system controller 22 initiates a security alert phase, and communicates the initiation of the security alert phase to the elevator system controller 24. Once the elevator system controller 24 receives a communication indicating that a security alert phase has begun, the elevator system controller 24 operates the elevator cars 4 and doors 26 in a protected mode to prevent entry of non-authorized individuals to other floors of the building.

[0019] The protected mode of operation enacted by the elevator system controller 24 can range from a strict shut-down of all elevator functions in the elevator system, to a more complex protected mode, in which user operation of the elevators is limited but the elevators remain functional . In one embodiment of the protected mode of operation, wherein all elevator functions are shut down, the elevator system controller 24 prevents unauthorized individuals from gaining access to other floors of the building through the secure area 12 by stopping all elevator movement. In another embodiment, the elevator system controller 24 can use more complex modes of operation to contain the unauthorized individual while at the same time maintaining some operation of the elevator system. For example, the elevator system controller 24 may control the elevators during a security alert phase to operate normally on all other floors but to be restricted on the floor with the secure area 12 where the security breach has occurred. For instance, any elevator that is located at the unsecure floor at the time of the security breach may have its functions shut down, while elevators located on other floors at the time of the security breach may operate freely amongst all other floors served by the elevators. Alternatively, the elevators located at the unsecure floor may remain functional, but user operation of the elevator can be prevented. For example, the elevator system controller 24 may continue to operate the elevator but ignore user input for the elevator, such as a user pressing a button within the elevator. To maintain even more functions of the elevators, any elevator that is located away from the unsecure floor at the time of the security breach can be allowed to travel to the unsecure floor, but be prevented from subsequently leaving the unsecure floor until the security alert phase has ended. This allows passengers to travel to the unsecure floor normally, and only prevents unauthorized individuals from accessing other floors from the breached secure area 12.

[0020] In a particular embodiment, the operation of the elevator cars 4 and doors 26 during a security alert phase may be controlled to both prevent unauthorized individuals from accessing other floors served by the elevators and to assist security officers in locating the unauthorized individual . In this particular embodiment, any elevator that is located at the landing 6 corresponding to the floor with the secure area 12 and has its doors open or partially open at the time of the security breach will be held at that floor with its doors open for the remainder of the security alert phase. Moreover, any elevator car 4 that arrives at the floor with the breached secure area 12 during the security alert phase will be held at that floor with its doors open. Accordingly, when security officers arrive to handle the security breach, all of the elevator cars 4 that had an open door state at the landing 6 of the breached secure area 12 at any time during the security alert phase will have their doors 26 open. Accordingly, the unauthorized individual will be unable to hide within an elevator car 4. Once the security officers have located the unauthorized individual, or dealt with the access or security breach in another manner, the access system controller 22 can be instructed to end the security alert phase. Subsequently, the access system controller 22 can send a signal to the elevator system controller 24 indicating that the security alert phase has ended and allowing the elevator system controller 24 to operate, once again, in a normal operating mode.

[0021] In the embodiments shown in Figs. 1 and 2, the access monitoring device 14 includes several protected entrances 1 6 providing access from the public space 8 to the secure area 1 2. In this embodiment, the protected entrances 16 represent the only access points to the secure area 12 aside from the controlled passageways, which include the elevator cars 4 and doorway 18. Accordingly, any individual who wishes to access the secure area 12 from the public space 8 may do so only through a protected entrance 16. In one embodiment, the protected entrance 16 is configured to allow only a single person at a time to pass therethrough. For example, the protected entrance 16 may take the form of a narrow doorway that is wide enough for only a single person, or a revolving door.

[0022] Fig . 4 shows additional details of an embodiment of the protected entrance 16 which may be used in Figs. 1 and 2. The entrance 16 includes two columns 28 that are separated at a distance to form a passageway. Each column 28 has an inside face 30 bordering the passageway and an outside face 32 facing away from the passageway. To prevent unauthorized individuals from circumventing the protected entrance, the outside face 32 of each column 28 can be disposed adjacent to a wall or other barrier. Alternatively, the outside face 32 of one protected entrance 16 may serve as the inside face 30 of an adjacent protected entrance 16; such a series of adjacent protected entrances 16 may share columns 28. The protected entrance 16 includes an authorized access detector that includes an identity sensor 34 and a direction detector 36. The identity sensor 34 is configured to read an identification tag of a person attempting to pass through the doorway of the protected entrance 16 from a public side of the entrance (region 40) to the secure side of the entrance (region 38). The direction detector 36 of the authorized access detector determines whether a person passes through the entrance and whether the person is entering or exiting the secure area 12.

[0023] The authorized access detector monitors authorized access of the secure area 12 and issues the breach signal if unauthorized entry occurs. If a person passes through the protected entrance 16 starting from the secure side 38, the authorized access detector will not issue a breach signal, because the person is leaving the secure area. On the other hand, if a person passes through the protected entrance 16 starting from the public side 40 without first presenting an authorized identification tag to the identity sensor 34, the authorized access detector will cause the protected entrance 16 to issue a breach signal to the access system controller 22. If authorized individuals wish to enter the secure area 12 from the public side 40 of the protected entrance 16, they first present an authorized identification tag to the identity sensor 34. Once the identity sensor 34 determines that the person is authorized for entry into the secure area, a signal is optionally presented to the person indicating that their entry has been approved. The person is then able to enter the secure area through the protected entrance without triggering a breach signal . For example, the protected entrance may present a signal using a light or sound that indicates that entry has been approved. The illustrated embodiment of the protected entrance includes a light 42 to demonstrate that entry has been approved.

[0024] The direction detector 36 of the embod iment shown in Fig . 4 is formed by a pair of photo-electric elements spanning the passageway between the columns 28 of the entrance 16. Each photo-electric element includes one or more signal generators 44 that projects a beam toward a sensor 46. The direction detector 36 determines that a person has passed through the entrance by monitoring when either beam is broken. If either sensor 46 fails to sense the beam, the direction detector 36 determines that a person has passed through the doorway.

[0025] The direction detector 36 is able to determine if a person is leaving or entering the secure area 12 based on the timing in which the sensors 46 detect that the beam has been broken. The photo-electric elements are positioned in a sequence from the secure side 38 of the entrance 16 to the public side 40 of the entrance. Accordingly, the direction detector 36 is able to detect the direction in which a person who walks through the entrance is traveling, based on which beam is broken first. If the beam on the secure side 38 of the entrance 16 is broken first, it may be determined that the individual passing through the entrance 16 is leaving the secure area travelling in direction 50 shown in Fig. 4. On the other hand, if the beam on the public side 40 is broken first, it may be determined that the individual is traveling in direction 48 and entering the secure area 12. This information can be used by the security system to control when a breach signal is generated by the security system controller.

[0026] The use of a protected entrance 1 6 , as il lustrated in Fig . 4 , in connection with the access control system illustrated in Fig. 1 can demonstrate how the direction of individuals passing through the entrance 16 can be used for choosing whether or not to initiate a security breach phase based on the direction of individuals passing through the protected entrance. For example, the following sequence of events may occur when an authorized individual is travelling from outside the secure area to an upper floor of the building that is protected by the security system. The individual enters the building through revolving door 10 into public space 8. The individual approaches the protected entrance 16 and presents a security credential to identity sensor 34. As a result, when the individual passes through the protected entrance 16 along the entrance direction 48, the access system controller 22 does not initiate a security breach phase because the individual's entry has been authorized through use of the identity sensor 34. After passing through the protected entrance into the secure area 12, the individual may access the other floors of the building using the elevator cars 4. Thus, by presenting the proper security credential, a security breach phase is not initiated. Later, when the individual leaves the building, he or she arrives at the secure area using one of the elevator cars 4, and exits the secure area through the protected entrance 16 along exiting direction 50. The direction detector 36 is able to determine that the individual passing through protected entrance is exiting the secure area based on the sequence in which the beams from generators 44 are broken. Accordingly, the access control system can determine that the individual does not present a security threat since they are leaving the secure area, and the access control system does not initiate a security breach phase. This allows individuals to leave the secure area of the building without presenting any security credential . In addition, it allows authorized visitors of the secured floors of the building, who do not have security credentials, to exit without being escorted. However, if an unauthorized individual passes through the protected entrance 16 along entrance direction 48 but does not present a proper security credential, the access system controller 22 will initiate a security breach phase and the elevators will be prevented from allowing the unauthorized individual from accessing other floors of the building.

[0027] While there have been shown and described particular features of the i nvention as appl ied to preferred embod iments thereof, it will be understood that various omissions, substitutions, and changes in the form and details of the devices illustrated, and in their operation, may be made by those skilled in the art.