Key cabinet for equipping an access control system and access control method and system using this key cabinet

• US 6,315,198 B1
• Filed: 03/05/1998
• Issued: 11/13/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 03/05/1997
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Alcea Co.
• Original Assignee: Alcea Co.
• Inventors: De Rasse, Christophe, Lenglart, Pascal
• Primary Examiner(s): Frech, Karl D.
• Application Number:
  US09/035,023
• Time in Patent Office: 1,349 Days
• Field of Search: 235/385, 235/382.5, 235/382, 235/380
• US Class Current: 235/382
• CPC Class Codes: E05B 19/0005 Key safes E05B35/086 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 2009/00936 for key cabinets
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 9/00896 specially adapted for particular uses

Abstract

Key cabinet (AC1) for equipping an access control system (1) comprising a plurality of devices for reading data associated with personal identification means (EI), access control management means in particular comprising decision making means for controlling accesses and means for retaining a trace of the events occurring in this system, this cabinet (AC1) comprising means (Ci,j) adapted to receive a set of keys (CL) and means (TL) for controlling access to these receiving means.

This cabinet (AC1) is connected to the access control system (1) by insertion between a reader device and its controller means. It furthermore comprises means (SC, CE1) for generating a virtual badge corresponding to any change of state, this virtual badge then being transferred to decision making means.

Application in particular for equipping existing access control systems with key cabinets.

Claims

1. A key cabinet for an access control system,

the access control system including a reading device for reading an identification badge, the reading device having a controller means associated therewith, and access control management means having decision making means for controlling access based on information read by the reading device and means for storing events occurring in the access control system, the access control management means being connected to the reading device through the controller means,

wherein the key cabinet is connected between the reader device and the access control management means through the controller means, and comprises key receiving means for receiving plural keys, change of state detection means connected to said key receiving means for detecting a change of state of the plural keys in the key cabinet, and means for generating virtual badge information corresponding to the change of state detected by said detection means and for providing the virtual badge information to the decision making means.

2. The key cabinet of claim 1, wherein a data format of information from the identification badge read by said reading device is the same as a data format for the virtual badge information.

3. Key cabinet according to claim 1, wherein said key receiving means comprise a plurality of contacts and said change of state detection means comprise means for examining a state of said plurality of key contacts.

4. Key cabinet according to claim 3, wherein said plurality of key contacts are arranged in a matrix pattern.

5. Key cabinet according to claim 1, further comprising means for storing the state of each key of said plurality keys.

6. Key cabinet according to claim 1, further comprising a door having me for controlled opening, wherein said means for controlled opening of said door are located outside of the key cabinet.

7. Key cabinet according to claim 1, further comprising a door and means for controlled opening of said door.

8. System for the control of access to sites or equipments having at least one key cabinet according to claim 1, the system further comprising:

plural of the personal identification means held by a plurality of persons,

a plurality of the reading devices for reading information transmitted by said personal identification means,

wherein each said key cabinet is connected to the access control system by insertion between one of said plurality of reading device and the controller means associated with said one of said plurality of reading devices.

9. System according to claim 8, further comprising means for sorting, from among all of the events whose records are retained, those events relating to said one of Said plurality of reader devices associated with the key cabinet.

10. An access control method used with an access control system ha wine a key cabinet, the access control system including a reading device for reading an identification badge, the reading device having a controller means associated therewith, and access control management means having decision making means for controlling access based on information read by the reading device and means for storing events occurring in the access control system , the access control management means being connected to the reading device through the controller means, the key cabinet being connected between the reader device and the access control management means through the controller means and comprising key receiving means for receiving plural keys, change of state detection means connected to said key receiving means for detecting a change of state of the plural keys in the key cabinet, and means for generating virtual badge information corresponding to the change of state detected by said detection means and for providing the virtual badge information to the decision making means, the method comprising the steps of:

evaluating in the decision making means whether the read identification badge is authorized to have access to the plural keys in the key cabinet;

generating the virtual badge information for a key for which a change of state is detected by said detection means; and

transferring the generated virtual badge information to the decision making means.

11. Method according to claim 10, further comprising a step wherein the decision making means accepts the transferred virtual badge information.

12. Method according to claim 11, further comprising, in the case of detection of personal identification information, a step of transferring real badge information associated with the plurality of personal identification means to the decision making means.

13. Method according to claim 12, further comprising the step of sorting events associated with virtual badge information from all the events that have occurred in the system and that have been retained in the access control management means.

14. The method of claim 10, wherein a data format of information read from the identification badge by said reading device is the same as a date format for the virtual badge information.

15. A key cabinet for an access control system,

the access control system including a reading device for reading first identifier information in a first signal format from an actual identification device, the reading device having a controller associated therewith, and access control management means for controlling access based on the first identifier information read by the reading device, the access control management means being connected to the reading device through the controller,

wherein the key cabinet is connected to the controller between the reader device and the access control management means, and comprises key receiving means for receiving plural keys, detector means connected to said key receiving means for detecting whether each of the plural keys is present in the key cabinet, and a processor for generating second identifier information in the first signal format that indicates movement of the plural keys to and from said key receiving means and for providing the second identifier information to the access control management means.