Distributed biometric access control apparatus and method

• US 6,496,595 B1
• Filed: 05/19/2000
• Issued: 12/17/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 05/19/2000
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Nextgenid, Inc. (Zeva, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Nextgenid, Ltd.
• Inventors: Xu, Tianning, Tumey, David M., Puchek, Daniel R.
• Primary Examiner(s): Mancuso, Joseph
• Assistant Examiner(s): Bali, Vikkram
• Application Number:
  US09/574,001
• Time in Patent Office: 942 Days
• Field of Search: 382/115-119, 382/124, 902/3-6, 235/380, 235/382, 235/382.5, 713/182, 713/186, 340/5.1, 340/5.2, 340/5.5, 340/5.52, 340/5.7, 340/5.8, 340/5.81, 340/5.82
• US Class Current: 382/124
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 10/94 Hardware or software architectures specially adapted for image or video understanding
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 9/257 electronically G07C9/26 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 9/27 with central registration
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 9/37 using biometric data, e.g. fingerprints, iris scans or voice recognition
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 9/38 with central registration

Abstract

An access control apparatus and method. Enrollment is conducted at a centralized server and enrollment data, such as identification data is downloaded to plural local access units at respective entrances to a restricted area. The local access units then collect data of a person upon an attempted entry in to the area and compare the data with downloaded enrollment data to determine if the person is authorized for access. If the person is authorized, an access control device is operated to open a door, gate, or the like of the entrance. The enrollment data can be biometric data and the same type or different type of biometric data can be collected at the local access units. If a different type of data is collected at the local access units and is correlated to data stored on the local access unit, data of the same type as the downloaded data is collected and compared to the downloaded data for access control. The enrollment data can be non environmentally affected data, such as fingerprint parameter data and the different type of data can be environmentally affected data, such as facial parameter data.

Claims

1. An apparatus for controlling access into an area to, comprising:

a server including server memory and a server data collection device configured to collect identification data assigned to an authorized person;

a local access unit located at an entrance to the area and including local memory, a local processor, a local biometric parameter sensing device, a local data collection device and an access control device; and

a communication channel for downloading the identification data from the server to the local access unit;

wherein said local processor is operative to compare biometric parameter data of a person proximate the entrance collected by said local biometric parameter sensing device with biometric parameter data stored in said local memory and to grant access to the area by operating said access control device if the biometric parameter data collected by said local biometric parameter sensing device and biometric parameter data stored in said local memory correspond to one another, and wherein said local processor is operative to prompt the person to enter the identification data through said local data collection device and grant access to the area by operating said access control device only when the identification data of an authorized person is entered if the biometric parameter data collected by said local biometric parameter sensing device and the biometric parameter data stored in said local memory do not correspond, and wherein said local processor is also operative to store the biometric parameter data collected by said local biometric parameter sensing device in correspondence with the identification data in said local memory when the biometric parameter data collected by said local biometric parameter sensing device and the biometric parameter data stored in said local memory do not correspond and the identification data of an authorized person is entered through said local data collection device.

2. An apparatus as recited in claim 1, wherein said server data collection device is a server biometric parameter sensing device, said local data collection device is an auxiliary local biometric parameter sensing device, and the identification data is biometric parameter data.

3. An apparatus as recited in claim 2, wherein said server biometric parameter sensing device is of the same type as said auxiliary biometric parameter sensing device.

4. An apparatus as recited in claim 3, wherein said server biometric parameter sensing device is a fingerprint parameter sensing device, said auxiliary biometric parameter sensing device is fingerprint parameter sensing device, and said local biometric parameter sensing device is a facial parameter sensing device.

5. An apparatus as recited in claim 4, wherein there are plural local access units located at respective entrances and wherein said communication channel downloads the identification data to each of said local access units.

6. An apparatus as recited in claim 1, wherein said local biometric parameter sensing device comprises a video camera and wherein said local processor is operative to store image data collected by said video camera and upload said video data over said communication channel to said server when an anomaly is detected.

7. An apparatus for controlling access into an area comprising:

a server including server memory and a server data collection device configured to collect identification data assigned to an authorized person;

plural access units associated with respective entrances, each local access unit including a local memory, a local processor, a local data collection device and an access control device; and

a communication channel for downloading the identification data from the server to each of the plural local access units;

wherein said local processor is operative to compare data collected by the one of said local access units with identification data downloaded over said communication channel and operate the entrance control device only when the identification data of an authorized person is entered; and

wherein, when the identification data downloaded over said communication channel and the biometric parameter data collected by the one of said local access units and stored in said local memory do not correspond, and the identification data of an authorized person is entered through said local data collection device, the local processor is also operative to store the biometric parameter data collected by one of said local access and the identification data of an authorized person is entered through said local data collection device.

8. An apparatus as recited in claim 7, wherein said server data collection device comprises a server biometric parameter sensing device and the identification data is biometric parameter data.

9. An apparatus as recited in claim 8, wherein said local data collection device comprises an auxiliary biometric parameter sensing device of the same type as said server biometric parameter sensing device.

10. An apparatus as recited in claim 9, wherein said local access units each comprises a local biometric parameter sensing device of a different type than said auxiliary biometric parameter sensing device.

11. An apparatus as recited in claim 9, wherein said local processor is operative to compare biometric parameter data of a person proximate the entrance collected by said local biometric parameter sensing device with biometric parameter data stored in said local memory and to grant access by operating said access control device if the biometric parameter data collected by said local biometric parameter sensing device and biometric parameter data stored in said local memory correspond to one another, and wherein said local processor is operative to prompt the person to enter biometric parameters through said auxiliary biometric parameter sensing device and grant access by operating said access control device only when the biometric parameter data of an authorized person is entered through said auxiliary biometric parameter sensing device if the biometric parameter data collected by said local biometric parameter sensing device and the biometric parameter data stored in said local memory do not correspond, and wherein said local processor is also operative to store the biometric parameter data collected by said local biometric parameter sensing device in correspondence with the biometric parameter data in said local memory when the biometric parameter data collected by said local biometric parameter sensing device and the biometric parameter data stored in said local memory do not correspond and the biometric parameter data entered through said auxiliary biometric parameter sensing device corresponds to an authorized person.

12. An apparatus as recited in claim 11, wherein said server biometric parameter sensing device is a fingerprint parameter sensing device, said auxiliary biometric parameter sensing device is fingerprint parameter sensing device, and said local biometric parameter sensing device is a facial parameter sensing device.

13. A method of controlling access into an area comprising the steps of:

collecting identification data assigned to an authorized person with a server;

downloading the identification data from the server to a local access unit located at an entrance and having an access control device;

comparing biometric parameter data of a person collected proximate the entrance by said local access unit with biometric parameter data stored in the local access unit and granting access by operating the access control device if the biometric parameter data collected proximate the entrance and biometric parameter data stored in the local access unit correspond to one another;

prompting the person to enter the identification data into the local access unit and granting access by operating the access control device only when the identification data of an authorized person is entered if the biometric parameter data collected proximate the entrance and the biometric parameter data stored in said local access unit do not correspond; and

storing the biometric parameter data collected proximate the entrance in correspondence with the entered identification data in the local access unit when the biometric parameter data collected proximate the entrance and the biometric parameter data stored in the local access unit do not correspond and the identification data of an authorized person is entered through the local access unit.

14. A method as recited in claim 13, wherein the identification data is biometric parameter data.

15. A method as recited in claim 14, wherein the biometric parameter data collected proximate the entrance is of a different type than the biometric parameter data collected as the identification data.

16. A method as recited in claim 15, wherein the biometric parameter data collected proximate the entrance is facial parameter data and the biometric parameter data collected as the identification data is fingerprint parameter data.

17. A method as recited in claim 15, wherein said downloading step comprises downloading the identification data to plural local access units located proximate respective entrances.

18. A method of controlling access into an area comprising:

collecting identification data assigned to an authorized person with a server;

downloading the identification data from the server to each of plural access units associated with respective entrances to the area, each local access unit including an entrance control device;

collecting data with one of the local access units;

comparing the data collected by one of the local access units with the identification data downloaded during said downloading step;

operating the entrance control device collected based on results of said comparing step;

prompting a person seeking access to enter identification data if the identification data downloaded during said downloading step and the data collected with one of the local access units do not correspond;

storing the identification data collected by one of said local access units when the identification data downloaded over said communication channel and biometric data collected by said local access units and stored in the local memory do not correspond and the identification data of an authorized person is entered through said local data collection device.

19. A method as recited in claim 18, wherein the identification data is biometric parameter data and the data collected by the local access units is biometric parameter data.

20. A method as recited in claim 19, wherein the biometric parameter data collected by the one of the local access units is of a different type than the biometric parameter data collected as the identification data.

21. A method as recited in claim 20, wherein the biometric parameter data collected by the one of the local access units is facial parameter data and the biometric parameter data collected as the identification data is fingerprint data.

22. A method of controlling access into an area comprising the steps of:

a primary enrollment step in which identification data is collected, assigned to an authorized person, and stored;

an identification step wherein a biometric parameter is sensed, converted to biometric parameter data, and wherein said biometric parameter data is then compared to said stored identification data;

an primary access granting step wherein, when the biometric parameter data corresponds to the stored identification data, access is granted to said authorized person, or wherein when the biometric parameter data does not correspond to the stored identification data, access is denied and at least one additional biometric parameter is sensed and compared to the stored identification data

a secondary enrollment step wherein when said additional biometric parameter data corresponds to the stored identification data, said additional biometric parameter data is stored and correlated with said identification data;

a secondary access granting step, wherein when said additional biometric parameter data corresponds to the stored identification data, access is granted to said authorized person.

23. A method as recited in claim 22, wherein said primary enrollment step is conducted with a centralized server and said secondary enrollment step is conducted with a local access unit.e

24. A method as recited in claim 23 wherein the identification data is biometric data and said primary enrollment step further comprises sensing a biometric parameter and converting the biometric parameter to biometric parameter data.

25. A method as recited in claim 24, wherein the biometric parameter sensed in said secondary enrollment step varies due to environmental conditions surrounding said local access units that were not present during said primary enrollment step.

26. A method as recited in claim 25, wherein the biometric parameter sensed in said primary enrollment step is a fingerprint parameter and the biometric parameter sensed in said secondary enrollment step is a facial parameter.

27. A method of controlling access into an area comprising the steps of:

collecting identification data assigned to an authorized person with a server;

downloading the identification data from the server to a local access unit located at an entrance and having an access control device;

collecting entrance biometric parameter data of a person at the time of an attempted entry into the area with said local access and

comparing the entrance biometric parameter data with biometric parameter data stored in the local access unit and granting access by operating the access control device if the entrance biometric parameter data and biometric parameter data stored in the local access unit correspond to one another;

prompting the person to enter the identification data into the local access unit and granting access by operating the access control device only when the identification data of an authorized person is entered if the entrance biometric parameter data and the biometric parameter data stored in said local access unit do not correspond; and

storing the entrance biometric parameter data in correspondence with the entered identification data in the local access unit when the entrance biometric parameter data and the biometric parameter data stored in the local access unit do not correspond and the identification data of an authorized person is entered through the local access unit.