High security identification system for entry to multiple zones

• US 6,867,683 B2
• Filed: 12/28/2000
• Issued: 03/15/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 12/28/2000
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Unisys Corporation
• Original Assignee: Unisys Corporation
• Inventors: Olson, John A., Calvesio, Raymond V.
• Primary Examiner(s): ZIMMERMAN, BRIAN A
• Application Number:
  US09/750,394
• Publication Number:
  US 20020149467A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,538 Days
• Field of Search: 340/5.52, 340/5.66, 340/5.33, 340/5.31, 340/5.32, 340/572.1, 340/5.54, 340/5.83, 340/5.6
• US Class Current: 340/5.52
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 9/257 electronically G07C9/26 takes precedence

Abstract

Control over access by individuals to a group of high security facilities and zones within such facilities is accomplished with use of biometric readers at each access door as well as a quick ID reading device that is not required to contain biometric information. Enrollment at a secure facility where biometrics are maintained for each individual establishes a multipart data file for each individual, each part of which may be accessed by different actors in the system. The individuals allowed security to various facilities can only be in a single facility at a given time and also control their own schedule.

Claims

1. A system for maintaining access control to a plurality of high security zones by at least one controlled door and in the vicinity of said at least one door, and by at least one local decision-making computer for controlling access to said at least one door, a one of said at least one doors and a one of said at least one decision-making computers being associated with each of said plurality of high security zones, all within a high security facility system, said system for maintaining access control comprising;

a. an enrollment authority which may be in at least one secure facility, for obtaining and maintaining on a secure computer system biometric data files for each individual who may be allowed access to any said high security zone within said high security facility system,

b. a direct tentative identifier device associated with a one of said doors and an associated one of said decision-making computers, for reading an ID token of a presenting individual and for sending an ID code related to said ID token to said associated one of said decision-making computers,

c. a biometric reader associated with said one of said doors and said associated one of said decision-making computers, for reading a live biometric from said presenting individual, said biometric reader being connected to said associated decision-making computer so as to enable the comparing of live biometric data read from said presenting individual with biometric data maintained on said secure computer system,

d. a secure communication path for secure communication of biometric data from said local decision-making computer providing control over said door to said secure computer system of said enrollment authority,

e. a scheduler for maintaining a schedule for each individual allowed access to any of said high-security zones within said high security facility system having a secure line for communication to said local decision-making computer, said scheduler providing an indication of whether said presenting individual that is presenting for a live biometric reading is permitted access to a door associated with a high-security zone associated with said door.

2. The system of claim 1 wherein said direct tentative identifier device is a magnetic card reader and said ID token is a magnetic ID card.

3. The system of claim 1 wherein said scheduler comprises a database having data values indicating whether an individual is authorized to enter a high security zone.

4. The system of claim 1 wherein said biometric data files are encrypted.

5. The system of claim 1 wherein more than a single biometric reader is located at said secure door.

6. The system of claim 5 wherein one of said more than a single biometric reader is located proximate to said door to generate a signal indicating that an individual related to an ID code has gone out a said zone through said secure door so as to allow for the recording of said individual'"'"'s egress through said secure door.

7. The system of claim 5 wherein said more than a single biometric reader is located proximate to said door and connected to provide a second live biometric to said associated decision-making computer for comparison with a second biometric data file for a presenting individual.

8. The system of claim 1 wherein said ID card reader is a magnetic swipe reader.

9. The system of claim 1 wherein a second ID card reader is provided at exits from inside said high-security zones for enabling the recording of individual egress from such secure zones.

10. The system of claim 1 wherein a database relates ID codes biometric data files.

11. The system of claim 1 further comprising a trace system for obtaining present information about the presenting individual at such time as said presenting individual is present at said door and for recording said present information for later use.

12. The system of claim 1 further comprising means for generating a bad match alarm signal if said decision making computer determines that there is no match between said live biometric and said archived biometric.

13. A system for maintaining access control to a plurality of high-security zones by at least one controlled door and in the vicinity of said at least one door, and by at least one local decision-making computer for controlling access to said at least one door, a one of said one of said at least one doors and a one of said at least one decision-making computers being associated with each of said plurality of high security zones, and having an enrollment authority for obtaining and maintaining on a computer system biometric data files for each individual who may be allowed access to any said high security zone within said high security facilities, all within a high security facility system, said system for maintaining access control comprising;

a. an individual recognition device for determining that an individual is at a said door and for taking a live reading of such a presenting individual'"'"'s biometric,

b. a door control computer for deciding whether the live biometric reading is a match to the biometric data file in said enrollment authority that can be related to said individual,

c. a scheduler for maintaining a secure knowledge base relating access privileges of said individual to said door, and

d. a lock mechanism responsive to computer commands from said door control computer for allowing or disallowing passage through said door.

14. The system of claim 13 wherein said scheduler is connected to an enrollment authority and wherein no data within said secure knowledge base can be modified without an approval signal from said enrollment authority.

15. The system of claim 14 wherein said scheduler is connected to receive secure data requests from individuals who have a relationship to said data which requests modification of said data.

16. The system of claim 14 wherein said scheduler knowledge base contains data related to particular times at which particular individuals are authorized to have access to particular ones of said high security zones.

17. A method for maintaining a secure facility of high-security zones having a door to provide access to each said high-security zone and a decision-making computer for controlling actuators that permit use of said doors and having means for allowing for identification of an individual at a one of said doors by reading biometric of said individual at said door by a biometric reader that produces a live biometric data signal, said method comprising:

a. by a direct tentative identifier device, tentatively identifying said individual at said door by said direct means

b. producing a present ID code signal from said tentative identification,

c. comparing said live biometric data signal to an archived biometric data signal related to an archived ID code signal that matches said present ID code signal,

d. determining whether said live and archived biometric data signal are a match,

e. determining whether said individual identified by said present ID code and said matched live and archived biometric data signal is permitted by a scheduler to pass through said door,

f. generating an alarm condition signal if any of steps c, d, or e fail to produce a positive result.

18. The method of claim 17 further comprising activating follow-on systems for tracing said individual at said door and recording information related to him.

19. The method of claim 17 wherein upon the occurrence of a generating of an alarm condition signal, said individual at said door is not permitted to pass through said door.

20. The method of claim 17 wherein said alarm condition signal is sent to a guard desk system when it is generated.