Distributed tag reader system and method

• US 6,570,487 B1
• Filed: 04/22/1999
• Issued: 05/27/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 01/24/1997
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Axcess International, Inc. (Amphion Innovations PLC)
• Original Assignee: Axcess, Inc.
• Inventors: Steeves, Wayne E.
• Primary Examiner(s): Horabik, Michael
• Assistant Examiner(s): BANGACHON, WILLIAM L
• Application Number:
  US09/298,982
• Time in Patent Office: 1,496 Days
• Field of Search: 340/5.2, 340/8, 340/81, 340/5.61, 340/5.33, 340/5.26, 340/10.1, 340/5, 340/10.51, 340/10.2, 340/572.1, 340/572.7, 340/573.4, 340/505, 713/200, 141/94, 342/44, 342/442, 307/10.5
• US Class Current: 340/5.2
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 7/0008 General problems related to the reading of electronic memory record carriers, independent of its reading method, e.g. power transfer
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 7/10039 interrogator driven, i.e. synchronous
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 7/10356 using a plurality of antennas, e.g. configurations including means to resolve interference between the plurality of antennas
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 9/27 with central registration
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 9/28 the pass enabling tracking or indicating presence

Abstract

An access control system includes a plurality of door control systems each associated with an access door and including a relay control for operating the access door and a transmitter for eliciting a radio response from a tag at the access door. The response includes a tag ID and an access door ID. A receiver is operable to receive radio responses from tags at a plurality of access doors. An access door controller is coupled to the receiver and operable to receive the tag ID and the access door ID included in each radio response received by the receiver. The access controller determines whether access by the tag at the access door is authorized and controls the relay door to permit authorized access.

Claims

1. An access control system, comprising:

a plurality of door control systems each associated with at least one of a plurality of access doors and comprising a relay control for operating the access door and a transmitter for eliciting a radio response from a tag at the access door, the response including a tag ID and an access door ID, a plurality of the access doors associated with a facility;

a receiver operable to receive radio responses from tags at a plurality of the access doors; and

an access controller coupled to the receiver and operable to receive the tag ID and the access door ID included in each radio response received by the receiver, to determine whether access by the tag at the access door is authorized, and to control the relay control to permit authorized access.

2. The access control system of claim 1, further comprising the access controller coupled to a plurality of receivers, the receivers remote from each other and each operable to receive radio responses from tags at a plurality of the access doors.

3. The access control system of claim 1, further comprising a plurality of access controllers, the access controllers remote from each other and each coupled to at least one receiver and operable to receive the tag ID and the access door ID included in each radio response received by the receiver, to determine whether access by the tag at the access door is authorized, and to control the relay control to permit authorized access.

4. The access control system of claim 1, further comprising a plurality of access controllers, the access controllers remote from each other and each coupled to a plurality of receivers and operable to receive the tag ID and the access door ID included in each radio response received by the receivers, to determine whether access by the tag at the access door is authorized, and to control the relay control to permit authorized access.

5. The access control system of claim 3, further comprising an application program interface coupled to the access controllers to log actions by the access controllers.

6. The access control system of claim 1, the access controller further comprising:

a memory module operable to store information identifying tags and authorized access doors for the tags; and

a network processor operable to access the memory module to determine whether access by a tag at an access door is authorized.

7. The access control system of claim 1, wherein the tag is authorized entry at only a portion of the access doors.

8. The access control system of claim 1, wherein each door control system is disposed at an access door.

9. The access control system of claim 1, wherein the receiver is remote from the door control systems.

10. The access control system of claim 2, wherein the access controller is remote from the receivers.

11. The access control system of claim 5, wherein the application program interface is remote from the access controllers.

12. The access control system of claim 2, wherein at least two of the receivers are operable to receive radio responses from tags at a same access door.

13. The access control system of claim 1, wherein the transmitter is operable to communicate an activation signal containing the access door ID to the tag.

14. The access control system of claim 13, wherein the transmitter is operable to continously communicate the activation signal.

15. A secure facility, comprising:

a plurality of access doors in the secure facility for accessing at least one of the facility and one or more areas within the facility;

a door control system associated with each of the access doors and comprising a relay control for operating the access door and a transmitter for eliciting a radio response from a tag at the access door, the response including a tag ID and an access door ID;

a receiver operable to receive radio responses from tags at a plurality of the access doors; and

an access controller coupled to the receiver and operable to receive the tag ID and the access door ID included in each radio response received by the receiver, to determine whether access by the tag at the access door is authorized, and to control the relay control to permit authorized access.

16. The secure facility of claim 15, further comprising the access controller coupled to a plurality of receivers, the receivers remote from each other and each operable to receive radio responses from tags at a plurality of the access doors.

17. The secure facility of claim 15, further comprising a plurality of access controllers, the access controllers remote from each other and each coupled to at least one receiver and operable to receive the tag ID and the access door ID included in each radio response received by the receiver, to determine whether access by the tag at the access door is authorized, and to control the relay control to permit authorized access.

18. The secure facility of claim 17, further comprising an application program interface coupled to the access controllers to log actions by the access controllers.

19. The secure facility of claim 18, wherein each door control system is disposed at an access door, the receivers are remote from the door control systems, the access controllers are remote from the receivers, and the application program interface is remote from the access controllers.

20. The secure facility of claim 15, wherein the transmitter is operable to communicate an activation signal containing the access door ID to the tag.

21. The secure facility of claim 18, wherein the transmitter is operable to continously communicate the activation signal.

22. A method for controlling access to a facility, comprising:

eliciting a first radio response from a first tag at a first access door in the facility, the first response including a first tag ID and a first access door ID;

eliciting a second radio response from a second tag at a second access door in the facility, the second response including a second tag ID and a second access door ID;

receiving the first and second radio responses from the first and second tags at a shared receiver;

determining whether access by the first tag at the first access door is authorized based at least partially on the first response;

determining whether access by the second tag at the second access door is authorized based at least partially on the second response; and

controlling the access doors to permit authorized access.

23. The method of claim 22, wherein the shared receiver is a first shared receiver, further comprising:

eliciting a third radio response from a third tag at a third access door, the third radio response including a third tag ID and a third access door ID;

eliciting a fourth radio response from a fourth tag at a fourth access door, the fourth response including a fourth tag ID and a fourth access door ID;

receiving the third and fourth radio responses from the third and fourth tags at a second shared receiver;

receiving at a shared access controller the tag ID and the access door ID included in each radio response;

determining for each response whether access by the tag at the access door is authorized; and

controlling the access doors to permit authorized access.

24. The method of claim 23, further comprising logging actions taken by the access controller through an application program interface.

25. The method of claim 22, further comprising communicating an activation signal containing the first access door ID to the first tag.

26. The method of claim 25, wherein communicating the activation signal comprises continuosly communicating the activation signal.