Challenge and response system for identifying non-credentialed occupants and method

• US 20180322268A1
• Filed: 05/04/2017
• Published: 11/08/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 05/04/2017
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Tyco Fire & Security GmbH (Johnson Controls International plc)
• Original Assignee: Tyco Fire & Security GmbH (Johnson Controls International plc)
• Inventors: Grammer, George, Rumble, Teri, Jarvis, Graeme, Cianciolo, Christopher
• Granted Patent: US 10,685,103 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/35 communicating wirelessly
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 9/257 electronically G07C9/26 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 9/27 with central registration
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 9/28 the pass enabling tracking or indicating presence
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 13/19613 Recognition of a predetermined image pattern or behaviour pattern indicating theft or intrusion
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 5/77 for interrogation

Abstract

A system and method for determining authorization of individuals at a premises is disclosed. The system (e.g. security system) includes interrogator devices such as mobile computing devices that are carried through the premises by an interrogator. The interrogator devices send challenge beacons for triggering responses from target user devices carried by users. A management system then confirms whether users of the target user devices are authorized users based on the responses received by the interrogator devices. Examples of target user devices include mobile computing devices such as smart phones/tablet devices, and auxiliary devices such as smart badges and wallets. In embodiments, the interrogator can also carry an auxiliary device having an integrated camera system that captures image data of the users, where the management system additionally confirms whether the users are authorized by comparing the image data along with information in the responses to stored records of authorized users.

Claims

1. A system for determining authorization of individuals at a premises, the system comprising:

interrogator devices that are carried through the premises and that send challenge beacons for triggering responses from target user devices; and

a management system that confirms whether users of the target user devices are authorized based on the responses received by the interrogator devices.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the interrogator devices initially conclude whether users of the target user devices are authorized based on the responses from the target user devices.

3. The system of claim 1, further comprising auxiliary devices that are carried with the interrogator devices that capture image data of the users carrying the target user devices, wherein the management system additionally confirms whether users of the target user devices are authorized based on the image data.

4. The system of claim 3, wherein the auxiliary devices send the image data to the interrogator devices.

5. The system of claim 3, wherein the image data is provided to security personnel for unauthorized users.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein the management system notifies the interrogation devices in response to confirming whether users of the target user devices are authorized.

7. The system of claim 1, further comprising auxiliary devices that are carried with the interrogator devices that receive messages sent from the interrogator devices indicating whether the users of the target user devices are authorized.

8. The system of claim 7, wherein the auxiliary devices provide an indication as to whether the users of the target user devices are authorized in response to receiving the messages.

9. The system of claim 7, wherein the auxiliary devices receive the messages from the interrogator devices over a Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) link.

10. The system of claim 1, further comprising auxiliary devices that are carried with the target user devices that receive messages sent from the interrogator devices indicating whether the users of the target user devices are authorized.

11. The system of claim 10, wherein the auxiliary devices provide an indication as to whether the users of the target user devices are authorized in response to receiving the messages.

12. The system of claim 1, wherein the interrogator devices provide location information of the target user devices, and wherein the management system determines whether the target user devices of the users are authorized based on the location information.

13. The system of claim 1, wherein the interrogator devices use a relative signal strength of the received responses to provide an indication as to where the authorized users are located versus potentially unauthorized users.

14. The system of claim 1, wherein the interrogator devices are carried by a robot.

15. The system of claim 1, wherein the responses include information which indicates that the users of the target user devices are authorized at the premises for a particular day and/or time period.

16. A method for determining authorization of individuals at a premises, the method comprising:

for interrogator devices that are carried through the premises, sending challenge beacons from the interrogator devices for triggering responses from target user devices; and

confirming whether users of the target user devices are authorized based on the responses received by the interrogator devices.

17. The method of claim 16, further comprising the interrogator devices initially concluding whether users of the target user devices are authorized based on the responses from the target user devices.

18. The method of claim 16, wherein sending challenge beacons from the interrogator devices for triggering responses from target user devices is accomplished using Bluetooth low-energy (BLE) signals.

19. The method of claim 16, further comprising additionally confirming whether users of the target user devices are authorized based on image data of the users carrying the target user devices, the image data being captured by auxiliary devices that are carried with the interrogator devices.

20. The method of claim 16, further comprising auxiliary devices that are carried with the interrogator devices receiving messages sent from the interrogator devices indicating whether the users of the target user devices are authorized.

21. A system for determining authorization of individuals, the system comprising:

interrogator devices that are carried through the premises and that analyze responses from target user devices; and

auxiliary devices that are carried with the interrogator devices that capture image data of the users carrying the target user devices, wherein it is confirmed that the users of the target user devices are authorized based on the image data.