JARDIM, João Marcos (Rua Salustiano Ribeiro, 721Bairro Colina, -000 Guaiba - RS, 92500, BR)
BORBA JUNIOR, João Ferreira de (Rua Francisco Brochado da Rocha, 465Bairro Vila City, -200 Cachoeirinha - Rs, 94935, BR)
JARDIM, João Marcos (Rua Salustiano Ribeiro, 721Bairro Colina, -000 Guaiba - RS, 92500, BR)
C L A I M S
1. "THE SYSTEM FOR CONTROLLING ACCESS AND
TRACKING OF ELEVATOR USERS" is characterized by consisting of a Registration Module (1) fitted with a Fingerprints Reader (2) that stores the collected fingerprints of each user together with his/her personal data assigning him/her an identification number ID as well as his/her access permissions in addition to a password that substitutes the fingerprints reading in case the user wishes so.
2."THE SYSTEM FOR CONTROLLING ACCESS AND TRACKING OF ELEVATOR USERS" as claimed in 01, is also characterized by the fact that in each cabin, there is an Interface with the user (3) composed of an Identification Sensor (4), a Checking Module (5) designed to store the images of the fingerprints sent by the Registration Module (1), which compares the stored images with the image of the fingerprint of a user who requests access so that he/she can be identified by sending this identification to the Fingerprint Controlling Module - FPCM (6) that verifies the permissions of the identified user by communicating with him/her through a Display (7) and a Keyboard (8) of the cabin, informing of the permission or non-permission of the access to the requested destination, the FPCM Module (6) also generating information for the history to be generated by the Registration Module (1) making possible the verification of the user's name, date and time of access or the originally accessed floor and destination.
3."THE SYSTEM FOR CONTROLLING ACCESS AND TRACKING OF ELEVATOR USERS" as claimed in 01 and 02, is also characterized by the fact that, when a user is registered in the Fingerprints Reading (2) of the Registration Module (1), his/her data (name, address, etc.) and his/her privileges (each user's profile, allowed floors, allowed time for access, etc.) will be stored in its databank that will distribute part of this information (the identifications) to all of the FPCM modules (6), which, in their turn, convert this information into the protocol of the Fingerprints Identification Sensors (4).
4."THE SYSTEM FOR CONTROLLING ACCESS AND TRACKING OF ELEVATOR USERS" as claimed in 01, 02, and 03, is also characterized by the fact that each time the identification is requested to the Sensor (4) by the user, it provides an identification code ID to the FPCM (6), which, in case this code is an existing ID, consults the databank of the Registration Module (1) to verify which privileges are available for this ID, which, in answer to the consultation, sends the privileges to the FPCM (6), and waits for an answer about which floor among the allowed ones has been chosen by the user. In this case, the FPCM (6) sends the privileges to the elevator system, which, then, allows the user to request his/her destination,
5. "THE SYSTEM FOR CONTROLLING ACCESS AND TRACKING OF ELEVATOR USERS" as claimed in 01, 02, 03, and 04, is also characterized by the fact that from the moment the elevator system knows the destination of this user, it send back this information to the FPCM (6), which, in the same manner, will send it back to the databank of the Registration Module (1), which was waiting for an answer, and, which, when in possession of this information, stores the answer in its non-volatile memory for future consultations of the Registration Module (1).
6. "THE SYSTEM FOR CONTROLLING ACCESS AND TRACKING OF ELEVATOR USERS" as claimed in 01, 02, 03, 04, and 05, is also characterized by the fact that, when a process of recognition of a fingerprint is requested, and this fingerprint is not registered, the sensor (4) sends an error to the FPCM module (6), which, in its turn, will interact with the user through a sonorous or visual warning, either by means of an interface with LEDs and a buzzer or by means of an alphanumeric interface (8) with a Display (7) and a buzzer so as to inform the user of the recognition or non- recognition of his/her fingerprint, and also to inform the user of other restrictions of the system such as time of unallowed access, restricted floors and other information relevant to the process of requesting the use of the elevators.
7. "THE SYSTEM FOR CONTROLLING ACCESS AND TRACKING OF ELEVATOR USERS" as claimed in 01, 02, 03, 04, 05 and 06, is also characterized by the fact that the system also provides for the use of a specific access clearance device (9) existing on the floor of the real property, designed to be used in case of events such as parties, visits for presentation of the real estate for the purposes of purchase, selling, rent, etc., where the access may be allowed in a quick and safe manner by the owner or a person in charge of the access. |
"ELEVATOR USERS ACCESS AND TRACKING CONTROL SYSTEM"
This invention patent relates to a system for controlling access and tracking of elevator users, provided with extremely extraordinary and singular technical characteristics when compared to those of the systems already existing in this technological sector.
The objective of this patent is a system for controlling access and tracking of elevator users, carefully and judiciously projected in order to characterize something really new and capable of occupying a prominent place when compared to the characteristics of the systems which are pertinent to and part of the state of the technique of this technological sector of vertical transportation, especially, to those of control systems in elevators.
Essentially, this invention seeks to characterize a new concept of the control system applied to elevators in order to control the access of users to elevators so as to restrict or allow their access to specific floors on previously scheduled dates and/or time, and to track the users' traffic in the elevators making possible the generation of a history of the accessed floors including the date, time and period of permanence at each place.
According to the state of the technique, it is known that nowadays there are countless systems for controlling access of users to elevators, among which there are those that use either passwords or cards that are previously supplied by the building management so as to identify people who access the elevators, and which floor they are allowed to access, thus increasing the safety of the rest of the elevator users.
The fact is that such existing systems do not provide definitive solutions with relation to the control of access, tracking and safety, thus leading to failures in its main objective, which is the safety of the elevator users registered and authorized to access certain floors of the building.
As for the control of access by either a card or a password, the registered user may share it with some other unregistered person in order to use the elevators.
Should the card or the password be lost, anyone who finds it will be able to access the elevators of the building without a warning being sent to the employees who will be aware of the fact only after the registered user has informed them of it.
In order to solve such problems, the biometric identification was adopted, mainly, the identification of the previously registered fingerprint of each user as described in the patent JP2282172 of Yuichiro Hayashi filed on 19.11.1990, which provides for the use of biometric sensors of fingerprints so as to allow only one call for each user, thus avoiding a number of calls made by the same person, or preventing several users from making calls with the identification of only one user either by a card or by an access password.
As for the tracking, in case a second user makes use of the same access password or card to travel in the elevator, it will not be possible to determine on which floors he/she was except for the access history of the originally registered user, leaving out all the accesses made by the unregistered user.
As for the specific access in case of such events as parties, there is a need for registration of each invited user, which makes difficult the access of a large number of people because each guest is required to register one of his/her fingerprints in the system.
Equally, in case people come to do shopping or rent certain real property, the traditional system requires the registration of one of their fingerprints which will be used once or twice and then remain registered in the system without any use at all.
Taking this into consideration, the objective of this invention is to characterize a system for controlling access and tracking of elevator users, which will solve the existing problems of the control of access, tracking, and of eventual access wherever it
is implanted, ensuring safety, comfort, and privacy for the duly registered users, and, also, making possible the generation of a history of the trips made by each user in the elevators in addition to making the eventual access feasible, practical, and safe.
As for the access control, as the registration is made by biometric systems such as identification of the profile of a user's face, hand geometry, iris patterns, retina scanning, and, mainly, reading of his/her fingerprints, the conceived system makes impossible the use of the access by third parties, so that, if under coercion of a robber, the registered user will be able to warn the security of a place by using a second previously registered fingerprint designated for special calls in order to define situations of emergency, robbery, etc.
As for the tracking, the fact that the user has been registered through identification of biometric signs, mainly, of his/her fingerprints, ensures the generation of a history of his/her trips in the elevators, and, consequently, of the floors visited by him/her, period of time of his/her staying at each place and time of embarkation and disembarkation without any possibility of error as for the authenticity of the collected data, and of the identity of this registered user.
As for the eventual access, the conceived system makes possible a safe and practical access by users invited to parties or social events, or, in the course of negotiating real estate for purchase or rent by using a key, which is in possession of an owner or a person in charge of the property, that may activate or deactivate the access controlled by biometric identification so as to avoid, whenever it is wished for, registering each visitor to their apartment or office.
The advantages resulting from this invention are evident citing the main ones among so many others as follows: it provides the history of trips of the users in the elevators identifying the accessed floors, period of time of permanence at each place, and date and time of embarkation and disembarkation, without any
possibility of error with relation to the authenticity of the collected data, and of the identity of the registered user; it prevents an unregistered user from using the registration of a registered user in order to activate the keyboard of an elevator making impossible his/her trips in the elevators of the building considering that, in such a case, the system will identify his/her presence in one of the cabins warning the employees by sending an error message to the registration terminal; it provides for registration of a second biometric identification either by the face or iris, or by the other fingerprint of the users in order to serve as a warning in special situations such as emergency, robbery, etc.; it makes possible that, in case of parties and social events, the elevators giving access to restricted and specific floors may be configured by using a key to allow the access without registration in accordance with the needs of an owner or a person in charge of the access.
In order to illustrate and clarify the conceived system for controlling access and tracking of elevator users in accordance with a basic and preferred form of execution designed by the applicant, the reference is made to the schematic drawings and illustrative appendixes that are part of and help explain this descriptive report, in which it can be seen: in the figure 1, a view of the first part of the flowchart of the manner in which the conceived system operates; in the figure 2, a view of the second part of the flowchart of the manner in which the conceived system operates; in the figure 3, the diagram of hardware blocks of one of the concretization manners; in the figure 4, a view of the components of the system visible to the user; and
In the figure 5, a schematic view of a set of floors, each being fitted with a device that allows the specific access (9).
As can be inferred from the analysis of the annexed figures, the conceived system for controlling access and tracking of elevator users basically and essentially consists of a Registration Module (1), which is fitted with a Fingerprints Reader (2), and stores the collected fingerprints of each user together with his/her personal data assigning him/her an Identification Number ID as well as his/her access permissions in addition to a password that substitutes the fingerprints reading in the identification in case the user wishes so.
In each cabin, there is an Interface with the user (3), which consists of an Identification Sensor (4), a Checking Module (5) designed to store fingerprints images sent by the Registration Module (1), which compares the stored images with the image of the fingerprint of a user who requests access so that he/she can be identified by sending this information to the Fingerprint Controlling Module - FPCM (6) that verifies the permissions of the identified user by communicating with him/her through the Display (7) and a Keyboard (8) of the cabin informing of the permission of or non- permission of access to the requested destination. The FPCM Module (6) also generates the information for the history to be generated by the Registration Module (1), thus making possible the verification of the user's name, date and time of access or an originally accessed floor and destination.
Furthermore, the system provides for the use of a specific access clearance device (9) existing on the floor of each real property to be used in case of events such as parties, visits for presentation of real estate for purchase, selling, or rent, etc., where the access may be cleared in a quick and safe manner by the owner or a person in charge of the access.
It should stressed that the purpose of the system of the patent described herein is not limited to the set of the presented procedures; considering that the signs of the biometric identification may be the profile of the user's face, the hand geometry, the iris pattern, the retina scanning, or the user's
fingerprints among others with no alteration in the inventive conception proposed in this patent.
The functionality of the system for controlling access and tracking of elevator users may be described by the following stages: when a user is registered in the Fingerprint Reader (2) of the Registration Module (1), his/her data (name, address, etc.). and his/her privileges (profile of each user, permitted floors, cleared access time, etc.) will be stored in its databank which will distribute part of this information (the identifications) to all of the FPCM modules (6), which, in their turn, convert this information into the protocol of the Fingerprint Identification Sensors (4).
Each time an identification is requested to the Sensor (4) by the user, it provides an identification code ID to the MCFP (6), which, if this code is an existing ID, consults the databank of the Registration Module (1) to verify the privileges available for this ID, which, in answer to the request, sends the privileges to the FPCM (6) and waits for an answer that informs which floor among the cleared floors has been chosen by the user. In this case, the FPCM (6) sends the privileges to the elevator system which, then, allows the user to request his/her destination.
Once the elevator system knows the user's destination, it sends back this information to the FPCM (6), which, in the same manner, will send it back to the databank of the Registration Module (1) which was waiting for an answer, and, which, once in possession of this information, stores the answer in its non-volatile memory for future consultations of the Registration Module (1).
When a process of recognition of a fingerprint is requested, and this fingerprint is not registered, the sensor (4) sends back an error to the FPCM Module (6), which, in its turn, will interact with the user through a sonorous and visual warning either through an interface with LEDs and a buzzer or an alphanumeric interface (8) with a Display (7) and a buzzer so as to inform the user of the recognition or non-recognition of his/her fingerprint as well as to inform the user of other restrictions of the system such as
unallowed time of access, a restricted floor, and other information pertinent to the process of requesting the use of elevators.
In case of parties or social events as well as in case of visits for purchasing and renting real property, its owner or a person in charge can activate the specific access clearance device (9) existing on his/her floor, which is activated by a key in his/her possession, activating or deactivating the access control by biometric systems in a quick and safe manner with a total control.
Therefore, this invention relates to a system for controlling access and tracking of elevator users, furnished with extraordinary technical characteristics that provide it with a distinctive enough character with relation to everything that is known in this technological sector.