RESPONSE SYSTEM AND METHOD

• US 20170103643A1
• Filed: 06/10/2015
• Published: 04/13/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 06/10/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Rapid Response System I/P, LLC
• Original Assignee: Rapid Response System I/P, LLC
• Inventors: Powers, III, Benjamin W., Raciti, Peter L., Thompson, Jeffrey T.
• Granted Patent: US 10,249,177 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• CPC Class Codes: E05B 2045/0695 Actuation of a lock triggering an alarm system, e.g. an alarm system of a building
• CPC Class Codes: E05B 2047/0067 Monitoring
• CPC Class Codes: E05B 2047/0084 Key or electric means; Emergency release
• CPC Class Codes: E05B 39/00 Locks giving indication of authorised or unauthorised unlocking with key identification means E05B35/001; alarm locks E05B45/00
• CPC Class Codes: E05B 45/06 Electric alarm locks E05B45/005 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: E05B 65/0075 for safes, strongrooms, vaults, fire-resisting cabinets or the like safes, closures and fastenings therefor E05G
• CPC Class Codes: E05G 1/00 Safes or strong-rooms for valuables savings boxes A45C1/12; floatable safes B63C7/30; storage containers without attack or fire-retardant features B65D; bank buildings in general, e.g. modular construction or floor plan, E04H1/06; buildings resistant to earthquakes or war action E04H9/00
• CPC Class Codes: E05G 1/02 Details safe hinges E05D7/14
• CPC Class Codes: F41C 3/00 Pistols, e.g. revolvers specially adapted for underwater use F41C9/06; for slaughtering or stunning animals A22B; for shooting bolts into concrete constructions, metal walls or the like B25C
• CPC Class Codes: F41C 7/00 Shoulder-fired smallarms, e.g. rifles, carbines, shotguns specially adapted for underwater use F41C9/06
• CPC Class Codes: F41H 1/02 Armoured or projectile- or missile-resistant garments; Composite protection fabrics F41H5/04 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: F41H 11/00 Defence installations; Defence devices constructional aspects see Section E, e.g. air-raid shelters E04H9/04; protective arrangements for buildings E04B1/92; extinguishing or preventing the spread of fire from, incendiary bombs A62C3/06; dynamic armour F41H5/007; ballistically deployed systems for restraining persons or animals F41H13/0006; electronic countermeasures G01S
• CPC Class Codes: F41H 13/0012 Electrical discharge weapons, e.g. for stunning
• CPC Class Codes: F41H 9/10 Hand-held or body-worn self-defence devices using repellant gases or chemicals
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 9/25 using biometric data, e.g. fingerprints, iris scans or voice recognition
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 17/08 Actuation involving the use of explosive means
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 19/00 Alarms responsive to two or more different undesired or abnormal conditions, e.g. burglary and fire, abnormal temperature and abnormal rate of flow
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 27/001 Signalling to an emergency team, e.g. firemen
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/185 from a mobile camera, e.g. for remote control

Abstract

A system and method for responding to a triggering event occurring on a premises includes accessing a vault compartment of a vault located on the premises to retrieve a responder tool kit including a ballistic vest, a portable communication device, and a defense device for use in responding to the triggering event. A controller located in the vault compartment is in communication with a monitoring station located off the premises and a biometric authentication device located external to the vault including a bioscanner such as an iris scanner for collecting biodata to authenticate a person external to the vault as a qualified rapid responder. The controller at the time of authenticating the qualified and authorized rapid responder outputs an alarm signal to the monitoring station, alerting the monitoring station to contact emergency services, and unlocks the vault to provide access to the responder tool kit located in the cage assembly.

Claims

1. A system for responding to a triggering event, the system comprising:

a response station comprising;

a controller which in an installed condition is positioned within a vault compartment of a vault, the controller including biodata of at least one rapid responder authorized to access the cage assembly via the vault;

an access mechanism which in an installed condition is positioned external to the vault;

wherein the access mechanism is in communication with the controller and includes a biometric authentication device to receive biodata of a person external to the vault;

wherein the controller, upon receiving biodata from the biometric authentication device, determines whether the biodata of the person matches the biodata of the at least one rapid responder;

wherein the controller, upon determining a match between the biodata of the person and the at least one rapid responder, authenticates the person as an authorized rapid responder, and contemporaneously;

outputs an alarm signal to a monitoring station in communication with the controller; and

unlocks the vault such that the vault compartment is accessible by the authorized rapid responder.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the biometric authentication device includes an iris scanner;

and

wherein the biodata of the person includes an iris image scanned by the iris scanner from the person.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the response station further comprises a communication module having a communication interface for communication with the authorized rapid responder;

wherein the monitoring station is in communication with the communication module.

4. The system of claim 3, wherein the monitoring station is in communication with an emergency services provider;

and

wherein the emergency services provider is in communication with the communication module via monitoring station.

5. The system of claim 1, further comprising an intrusion sensor in communication with the controller;

wherein;

the intrusion sensor outputs an intrusion signal to the controller upon detecting an intrusion condition of the vault; and

the controller outputs an intrusion alarm to the monitoring station in response to the intrusion signal.

6. The system of claim 5, wherein the intrusion sensor is a seismic sensor.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein the response station is located on a premises and the monitoring station is located off the premises.

8. The system of claim 1, wherein the access mechanism includes the biometric authentication device and further includes a token based authentication device;

wherein presentation of an authorized authentication token to the token based authentication device is required to access the biometric authentication device.

9. The system of claim 8, wherein the authentication token is associated, by the controller, with the at least one rapid responder;

wherein the biometric authentication device includes a position adjusting mechanism; and

wherein presentation of the authentication token to the token based authentication device actuates the position adjusting mechanism to adjust the biometric authentication device to a position defined by the biodata of the at least one rapid responder associated with the authentication token.

10. The system of claim 1, wherein the response station further comprises an uninterruptible power supply electrically connected to the controller;

and

wherein the uninterruptible power supply in an installed condition is positioned in the vault compartment and is electrically connected to a power source which is external to the vault.

11. The system of claim 1, wherein the response station further comprises a responder tool kit including a ballistic vest;

wherein the responder tool kit in an installed condition is removably positioned in the vault compartment.

12. The system of claim 11, wherein the responder tool kit further includes a portable communication device.

13. The system of claim 12, wherein the response station further comprises a tool kit charging module arranged such that when responder tool kit is positioned in the vault compartment, the portable communication device is electrically connected to the tool kit charging module.

14. The system of claim 11, further comprising:

a beacon in communication with the controller;

wherein the beacon in an installed condition is positioned proximate to the response station such that the beacon is a visual indicator to indicate a location of the response station.

15. The system of claim 14, further comprising:

a shot detector configured to output a shot detection signal to the monitoring station upon detecting a shot occurring on a premises including the response station.

16. The system of claim 14, wherein the response station further comprises an inventory sensor to sense the responder tool kit presence in the vault compartment;

and

wherein the beacon is activated when the inventory sensor senses removal of the responder tool kit from the vault compartment.

17. The system of claim 16, wherein the responder tool kit is one of a plurality of responder tool kits removably positioned in the vault compartment;

and

wherein the inventory sensor is arranged to activate the beacon when the inventory sensor senses removal of the last remaining one of the plurality of responder tool kits from the vault compartment.

18. The system of claim 11, wherein the responder tool kit further includes a defense device.

19. The system of claim 18, wherein the defense device comprises one or more of:

a firearm;

a long arm;

a handgun;

a stun weapon; and

a defensive spray.

20. The system of claim 11, wherein the responder tool kit further includes a real time location pendant to transmit real time location information;

and

wherein the real time location information is disseminated by the monitoring station.

21. The system of claim 11, wherein the responder tool kit further includes a body camera to transmit video surveillance information;

and

wherein the video surveillance information is disseminated by the monitoring station.

22. The system of claim 1, wherein the access mechanism further includes a duress switch in communication with one of the vault controller and the monitoring station;

wherein activating the duress switch initiates at least one of;

a duress call to the monitoring station; and

lockout of access to the vault compartment for a minimum period of time.

23. The system of claim 1, further comprising:

the vault.

24. The system of claim 1, further comprising:

a cage assembly which in an installed condition is positioned in the vault compartment;

wherein the controller is operatively mounted to the cage assembly.

25. The system of claim 24, further comprising:

a responder kit holder for removably attaching a responder tool kit.

26. A method for responding to a triggering event, the method comprising:

receiving biodata of a person to a biometric authentication device;

wherein the biometric authentication device is external to a vault and in communication with a controller located in a vault compartment of the vault;

wherein the controller includes biodata of at least one rapid responder authorized to access the vault compartment;

determining, via the controller, whether the biodata of the person matches the biodata of at least one rapid responder;

authenticating the person as an authorized rapid responder when a match is determined between the biodata of the person and the biodata of the at least one rapid responder;

the method further comprising, contemporaneously with authenticating the person as an authorized rapid responder;

outputting an alarm signal to a monitoring station in communication with the controller; and

unlocking the vault such that the vault compartment is accessible by the authorized rapid responder.

27. The method of claim 26, wherein the biometric authentication device includes an iris scanner.

28. The method of claim 26, wherein access to the biometric authentication device is secured by a token based authentication device in communication with the controller;

the method further comprising;

presenting an authentication token to the token based authentication device;

determining, via the controller, whether the authentication token is an authorized authentication token; and

providing access to the biometric authentication device when the authentication token is determined to be an authorized authentication token.

29. The method of claim 26, the method further comprising the authorized rapid responder:

accessing the vault compartment;

communicating, via a communication module positioned in the vault compartment, with the monitoring station; and

retrieving a responder tool kit from the vault compartment;

wherein the responder tool kit includes a ballistic vest.

30. The method of claim 29, wherein:

the responder tool kit includes a portable communication device in communication with the monitoring station and electrically connected to a tool kit charging module located in the vault compartment;

the method further comprising;

disconnecting the portable communication device from a tool kit charging station; and

removing the responder tool kit from vault compartment.

31. The method of claim 30, wherein the portable communication device comprises one or more of:

a two-way radio;

a cellular phone;

a real time location pendant; and

a body worn camera.

32. The method of claim 29, further comprising:

sensing, via an inventory sensor, removal of the responder tool kit from the vault compartment; and

activating a beacon located external to the vault and proximate to the vault when removal of the responder tool kit from the cage assembly is sensed by the inventory sensor.

33. The method of claim 29, further comprising:

installing a cage assembly to the vault compartment;

wherein the cage assembly includes a cage to which the controller and the communication module are mounted.

34. The method of claim 33, wherein the cage assembly includes a tool kit holder to position the responder tool kit in the vault compartment.

35. The method of claim 26, further comprising:

enrolling the at least one rapid responder in an enrolled user database;

storing the biodata of the at least one rapid responder in the enrolled user database;

evaluating the at least one rapid responder using predetermined criteria at time of enrollment and periodically thereafter; and

designating the at least one rapid responder as one of authorized and unauthorized in the enrolled user database as determined by the predetermined criteria;

providing the biodata of the at least one rapid responder to the controller when the at least one rapid responder is designated as an authorized rapid responder; and

removing the biodata of the at least one rapid responder from the controller when the at least one rapid responder is designated as an unauthorized rapid responder.