ELECTRONIC SECURITY PATROL COMPLIANCE SYSTEMS AND METHODS FOR INSTITUTIONAL FACILITY

• US 20140313031A1
• Filed: 03/10/2014
• Published: 10/23/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 03/13/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Keefe Group, LLC (TKC Holdings, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Centric Group LLC (TKC Holdings, Inc.)
• Inventors: Gupta, Atul
• Granted Patent: US 9,454,853 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 340/539.13
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 1/20 Checking timed patrols, e.g. of watchman

Abstract

Electronic systems for verifying completion of security patrols include primary and secondary identifier elements distributed along a predetermined route of the security patrol. A portable electronic device is configured to confirm an officer'"'"'s presence at each of the primary and secondary identifier element locations. The primary identifier element is machine readable while the secondary identifier element requires operator input to confirm the location.

Claims

1. A system for verifying compliance of persons completing a security patrol route for an institutional facility that houses residents in a controlled environment, the system comprising:

at least one machine readable, primary electronic identifier located at a designated location along the security patrol route of the institutional facility; and

at least one portable, processor-based log device movable by a person completing at least a portion of the security patrol route of the institutional facility;

wherein the at least one portable, processor-based log device and the at least one machine readable, primary electronic identifier are configured to communicate to confirm the person'"'"'s presence at the designated location.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the at least one portable, processor-based log device includes a reader/detector element configured to communicate with the at least one machine readable, primary electronic identifier at the designated location.

3. The system of claim 2, wherein the at least one machine readable, primary electronic identifier comprises a bar code.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the at least one machine readable, primary electronic identifier is a static element.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the at least one machine readable, primary electronic identifier is an active element.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein the at least one machine readable, primary electronic identifier comprises a plurality of machine readable, primary electronic identifiers at different designated locations along the security patrol route of the institutional facility, and wherein each of the plurality of machine readable, primary electronic identifiers uniquely identifies the respective one of the different designated locations along the security patrol route of the institutional facility.

7. The system of claim 1, further comprising at least one secondary identification element at the designated location along the security patrol route of the institutional facility, the secondary identification element configured to present an identifier for the person to confirm using the at least one portable, processor-based log device.

8. The system of claim 7, wherein the at least one secondary identification element is a dynamic element.

9. The system of claim 7, wherein the identifier is at least one of an authentication code, a graphic, a symbol, a color, and a sound.

10. The system of claim 7, wherein the at least one portable, processor-based log device includes an input element configured for the person to enter or accept the identifier.

11. The system of claim 10, wherein the at least one portable, processor-based log device is configured to determine whether the entered or accepted identifier is valid or invalid for the designated location.

12. The system of claim 7, wherein the at least one secondary identification element comprises a token generator.

13. The system of claim 7, wherein the at least one secondary identification element and the at least one machine readable, primary electronic identifier are arranged as a pair at the designated location along the security patrol route of the institutional facility.

14. The system of claim 7, wherein the at least one secondary identification element comprises a plurality of secondary identification elements at different designated locations along the security patrol route in the institutional facility.

15. The system of claim 7, wherein when the person does not confirm the identifier in a predetermined period of time, an alert is generated.

16. The system of claim 1, further comprising a patrol supervision element remotely located from the designated location, and wherein at least one of the portable, processor-based log device and the patrol supervision element is configured to analyze compliance issues of completing at least a portion of the security patrol route by the person.

17. The system of claim 16, wherein at least one of the portable, processor-based log device and the patrol supervision element is configured to generate at least one of a notification and an alert regarding non-compliance in completing at least a portion of the at least one patrol route by the person.

18. The system of claim 1, wherein the at least one portable, processor-based log device is configured to display informational feedback to the person.

19. The system of claim 18, wherein the informational feedback includes at least one of:

a direction to a next designated location in the route, a display of a map including the route, a number of designated locations in the portion of the route, the number of designated locations in the route that have been confirmed, the number of designated locations remaining, an elapsed time of the patrol, an expected time to the next designated location, or a display of a patrol checklist.

20. The system of claim 1, wherein when the person'"'"'s presence at the designated location is not communicated in a predetermined period of time, an alert is generated.

21. The system of claim 1, wherein the security patrol is defined by a predetermined path, and the designated location is situated along the predetermined path.

22. The system of claim 21, wherein the security patrol route is defined by one of a correctional facility, a hospital, a convalescent home, a long term care facility, a nursing home, a psychiatric facility, a rehabilitation facility and a developmental disability facility.

23. A system for verifying compliance in completing a security patrol route for an institutional facility, the system comprising:

a plurality of machine readable, primary electronic identifiers located at a plurality of designated location along the security patrol route in the institutional facility;

a plurality of secondary identification elements located at a plurality of designated location along the security patrol route in the institutional facility; and

at least one portable, processor-based log device movable by a person completing at least a portion of the security patrol route in the institutional facility;

wherein the at least one portable, processor-based log device and the plurality of machine readable, primary electronic identifiers are configured to communicate to confirm the person'"'"'s presence at their respective designated locations; and

each of the secondary identification elements being configured to present an identifier for the person to confirm using the at least one portable, processor-based log device.

24. The system of claim 23, wherein the plurality of machine readable, primary electronic identifiers and the plurality of secondary identification elements are provided as pairs at each of the designated locations.

25. The system of claim 24, wherein in each pair of machine readable, primary electronic identifier element and secondary identification element, one of the machine readable, primary electronic identifier element is a static element and the other of machine readable, primary electronic identifier element and secondary identification element is a dynamic element.

26. The system of claim 23, wherein the identifier is at least one of an authentication code, a graphic, a symbol, a color, and a sound.

27. The system of claim 23, wherein the at least one portable, processor-based log device includes an input element configured for the person to enter or accept the identifier.

28. The system of claim 27, wherein the at least one portable, processor-based log device is configured to determine whether the entered or accepted identifier is valid or invalid for the designated location.

29. The system of claim 23, wherein each of the plurality of machine readable, primary electronic identifiers uniquely identifies the respective one of the different designated locations along the security patrol route in the institutional facility.

30. The system of claim 23, wherein when the person'"'"'s presence is not confirmed in a predetermined period of time, an alert is generated.

31. The system of claim 23, wherein the at least one portable, processor-based log device includes a reader/detector element configured to communicate with the plurality of machine readable, primary electronic identifiers at their respective designated locations.

32. The system of claim 23, wherein at least one of the plurality of machine readable, primary electronic identifiers at their respective designated locations comprises a bar code.

33. The system of claim 23, wherein the institutional facility is a correctional facility, wherein the system further comprises a patrol supervision element, and wherein the at least one portable, processor-based log device is configured to communicate with the patrol supervision system in the correction facility.

34. A method for verifying compliance in completing a security patrol route for an institutional facility that houses residents in a controlled environment, the method implemented with at least one machine readable, primary electronic identifier located at a designated location along the security patrol route in the institutional facility and at least one portable, processor-based log device movable by a person completing at least a portion of the security patrol route in the institutional facility;

the method comprising;

confirming the person'"'"'s presence at the designated location via communication between the at least one portable, processor-based log device and the at least one machine readable, primary electronic identifier at the designated location.

35. The method of claim 34, wherein the method is further implemented with at least one secondary identification element configured to present an identifier to the person at the designated location, and the method further comprising:

accepting, with the at least one portable, processor-based log device, an input from the person corresponding to the identifier presented.

36. The method of claim 35, further comprising determining if the accepted input is valid or invalid for the designated location.

37. The method of claim 34, further comprising generating at least one of a notice and an alert regarding an incomplete route.

38. The method of claim 34, further comprising generating a safety alert if the person'"'"'s presence is not confirmed in a predetermined time.