Access monitoring system for compliance

• US 10,198,883 B2
• Filed: 05/24/2018
• Issued: 02/05/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 06/12/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Drilling Tools International, Inc. (Drilling Tools International Holdings, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Wellfence LLC (Drilling Tools International Holdings, Inc.)
• Inventors: Haci, Marc, Quezada, Arturo
• Primary Examiner(s): Cao, Allen T
• Application Number:
  US15/989,169
• Publication Number:
  US 20180276920A1
• Time in Patent Office: 257 Days
• Field of Search: 340 55- 555
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/063114 Status monitoring or status determination for a person or group
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 9/28 the pass enabling tracking or indicating presence
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 9/33 by means of a password
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 9/37 using biometric data, e.g. fingerprints, iris scans or voice recognition
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/181 for receiving images from a plurality of remote sources
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/188 Capturing isolated or intermittent images triggered by the occurrence of a predetermined event, e.g. an object reaching a predetermined position signal generation from motion picture films H04N5/253
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 999/99 dummy group

Abstract

The present invention provides a system for compliance monitoring of vehicles and users of hydrocarbon wellsites and method of use. The system includes at least one portable access control station located in the monitored hydrocarbon wellsite and a system server at a monitoring center. The system server is configured to be in communication with the portable access control station via a network. The portable access control station includes a checkpoint monitor and an access control unit. The portable access control station is configured to monitor vehicle and personnel access related events in the hydrocarbon wellsite and send data related to the events to the system server.

Claims

1. A system for compliance monitoring of vehicles and users of hydrocarbon wellsites, the system comprising:

a system server including a system data storage and a system processor;

a portable access control station located in a hydrocarbon wellsite which is a compliance monitored hydrocarbon wellsite and remotely located from the system server;

a checkpoint monitor of the portable access control station, the checkpoint monitor including a server having a data storage and a processor in communication with the system processor;

an access control unit of the portable access control station, the access control unit being in communication with the server of the checkpoint monitor and including vehicle sensors to detect vehicles, a barrier drive which is movably coupled to a vehicle barrier, and a controller configured to be in connection with the processor of the server, the vehicle sensors and the barrier drive, the controller being configured to operate the barrier drive for pivoting the vehicle barrier between a blocking position and an open position;

wherein upon receiving vehicle sensor data from the vehicle sensors indicating the presence of a vehicle, the processor analyzes an access code received from an access code provider to authenticate a user in the vehicle and signal the controller of the access control unit to move the vehicle barrier into the open position to allow the vehicle to enter the hydrocarbon wellsite when the user is successfully authenticated, and

wherein the access code includes a user ID code and a user activity code.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the data storage stores a control program that when executed causes the processor to operate the checkpoint monitor.

3. The system of claim 2, wherein an assignment data table is stored in the data storage, the assignment data table including a user assignment status data and a user activity status data.

4. The system of claim 3, wherein when authenticating the user, the processor is configured to analyze the access code to authenticate both a user assignment status using the user ID code of the access code and a user activity status using the user activity code of the access code.

5. The system of claim 4, wherein the authentication of the user assignment status identifies the user on the assignment data table.

6. The system of claim 5, wherein the authentication of the user activity status updates a user activity status data on the assignment data table as to whether the user is in a check in activity to enter the hydrocarbon wellsite or in a check out activity to exit the hydrocarbon wellsite.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein the checkpoint monitor includes a RF detector to receive the access code.

8. The system of claim 7, wherein the access code provider is an RF transmitter device to transmit the access code as an RF signal to be received by the RF detector.

9. The system of claim 1, wherein the access code provider is a keypad to type in the access code, the key pad being attached to the portable access control station.

10. The system of claim 1, wherein the checkpoint monitor includes a barcode reader.

11. The system of claim 10, wherein the access code provider is a user ID card including a barcode having the access code.

12. The system of claim 6, wherein the checkpoint monitor transmits the user assignment status and the user activity status to the system server along with the vehicle sensor data from the vehicle sensors after authenticating the user.

13. A method for compliance monitoring of vehicles and users of hydrocarbon wellsites, comprising:

providing a system server in a monitoring center, the system server including a system processor and a system data storage including an assignment data table for the monitored location and a system program that when executed causes the system processor to operate the system, wherein the assignment data table includes user assignment status data and user activity status data;

installing a checkpoint monitor on a perimeter of a hydrocarbon wellsite which is compliance monitored and remotely located from the system server, the checkpoint monitor including a processor and a data storage including the assignment data table received from the system server and a program that when executed causes the processor to operate the checkpoint monitor;

installing an access control unit adjacent the checkpoint monitor, the access control unit including vehicle sensors to detect vehicles, a barrier drive which is movably coupled to a vehicle barrier, and a controller being in connection with the processor of the checkpoint monitor, the vehicle sensors and the barrier drive;

detecting a vehicle with the vehicle sensors of the access control unit;

receiving, in the checkpoint monitor, vehicle sensor data from the access control unit indicating presence of a vehicle;

receiving, in the checkpoint monitor, an access code from an access code provider operated by a user associated with the vehicle;

analyzing with the processor the access code received from the access code provider to authenticate the user associated with the vehicle;

pivoting the vehicle barrier from a blocking position to an open position using the barrier drive to allow the vehicle to enter the hydrocarbon wellsite upon successfully authenticating the user associated with the vehicle;

receiving, in the checkpoint monitor, vehicle sensor data from the access control unit indicating absence of a vehicle; and

pivoting the vehicle barrier from the open position to the blocking position using the barrier drive.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein authentication of the user includes determining a user assignment status by authenticating a user identifier included in the access code against the user assignment status data on the assignment data table stored in the data storage of the checkpoint monitor.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein authentication of the user includes determining a user activity status by updating the user activity status data on the assignment data table by utilizing an activity status identifier in the access code to provide that the user is either in a check in activity to enter the hydrocarbon wellsite or in a check out activity to exit the hydrocarbon wellsite.

16. The method of claim 15 further comprising transmitting, from the check point monitor to the system server, the user assignment status and the user activity status along with the vehicle sensor data after authenticating the user.

17. The method of claim 13, wherein the access code provider is an RF transmitter device to transmit the access code as an RF signal to be received by an RF detector of the checkpoint monitor.

18. The method of claim 13, wherein the access code provider is a key pad to type in the access code, the key pad being attached to the access control unit.

19. The method of claim 13, wherein the access code provider is a user ID card including a barcode having the access code.

20. The method of claim 19, wherein the barcode having the access code is read by a barcode reader on the checkpoint monitor.