Access control system

• US 7,404,517 B2
• Filed: 04/17/2006
• Issued: 07/29/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 04/18/2005
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: SKIDATA AG (Thales SA)
• Original Assignee: SKIDATA AG (Thales SA)
• Inventors: Ponert, Gregor, Wallerstorfer, Kurt
• Primary Examiner(s): Le, Thien M.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Mai, Thien T
• Application Number:
  US11/405,681
• Publication Number:
  US 20060231615A1
• Time in Patent Office: 834 Days
• Field of Search: 235/380, 235/382, 235/382.5, 235/379, 235/385, 235/451, 235/492, 235/375, 340/5.2, 340/5.26, 705/1, 702/187, 324/76.11, 455/573
• US Class Current: 235/382
• CPC Class Codes: A63C 11/005 on the ski or pole
• CPC Class Codes: A63C 2203/22 Radio waves emitting or receiving, e.g. remote control, RFID
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 9/10 Movable barriers with registering means
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 9/28 the pass enabling tracking or indicating presence

Abstract

A non-contact-type access authorization reading device on an access control apparatus (1) reads an access authorization stored in a data carrier (9) received by an object (ski 7) which the user carries near the ground. The reading device has an antenna (11) disposed in the ground area and is connected to an evaluation unit which releases the access (2) upon reading of a valid access authorization. To provide the data carrier (9) with an access authorization, a copy-over data carrier (12) is acquired which stores a coding authorization for an access authorization. A copy-over reading device reads the coding authorization on the copy-over data carrier (12), and a coding device contactlessly codes the access authorization on the access authorization data carrier (9), the coding authorization being deleted after coding.

Claims

1. A system including an access control apparatus for controlling access of a person to an area, said access control apparatus having a non-contact-type access authorization reading device for reading an access authorization stored in a portable access authorization data carrier which is received by an object carried by the user near a ground area, the reading device having an antenna disposed in the ground area, and being connected to an evaluation unit which releases the access for a person upon reading of a valid access authorization, the system further including a portable copy-over data carrier on which a coding authorization and an access authorization are stored upon acquisition, a copy-over reading device for reading the coding authorization from the portable copy-over data carrier, and a coding device for coding the access authorization read from the copy-over data carrier onto the portable access authorization data carrier in response to the reading device reading the coding authorization from said portable copy-over data carrier, wherein the coding authorization on the portable copy-over data carrier is deleted after coding so that the copy-over data carrier is not capable of providing the access authorization to additional access authorization data carriers.

2. The system according to claim 1, wherein the copy-over reading device is provided on the access control apparatus.

3. The system according to claim 1, wherein the copyover reading device is formed by the non-contact-type access authorization reading device on the access control apparatus.

4. The system according to claim 1, wherein the coding device includes the antenna which is disposed in the ground area for coding the access authorization onto the portable access authorization data carrier.

5. The system according to claim 1, wherein the access authorization reading device on the access control apparatus has a further antenna disposed above the ground area.

6. The system according to claim 5, wherein the antenna disposed above the ground area forms a further antenna of the coding device.

7. The system according to claim 1, wherein the access authorization reading device, the copy-over reading device and the coding device are formed by a combined reading and coding device.

8. The system according to claim 1, wherein the object receiving the portable access authorization data carrier is a boot or a ski.

9. The system according to claim 1, wherein said portable copy-over data carrier comprises a contact-type ticket with a chip or a magnetic ticket.

10. A system for controlling access of a person to an area comprising:

a portable access authorization data carrier for mounting to an object for carrying by a user and for receiving and storing an access authorization;

an access control apparatus for controlling access of a person to an area comprising an access authorization reading device including an antenna disposed in a ground area for reading an access authorization from said portable access authorization data carrier;

an evaluation unit for evaluating the access authorization from the access authorization reading device to provide access for a person to the area when the access authorization is received;

a portable copy-over data carrier on which a coding authorization and an access authorization are stored upon acquisition;

a copy-over reading device for reading the coding authorization and the access authorization from the portable copy-over data carrier; and

a coding device including the antenna of said access control apparatus for coding the access authorization received from the copy-over reading device onto the portable access authorization data carrier during a first pass of the portable access authorization data carrier through the ground area of the antenna, the coding device deleting the coding authorization in the portable copy-over data carrier after the copy-over reading device reads the coding authorization,

wherein the access control apparatus repeatedly provides access for a person to the area in response to each subsequent detection of the access authorization stored on the portable access authorization data carrier.

11. The system of claim 10, wherein said portable copy-over data carrier comprises a contact-type ticket with a chip.

12. The system of claim 10, wherein said antenna is embedded in the ground, placed on the ground, or is provided on the underside of a mat.

13. The system of claim 10, wherein the access control device further comprises a singling device for controlling the access of a person to the area.

14. The system of claim 13, wherein said singling device comprises a rotating barrier or a light barrier.

19. The system of claim 14, including an antenna embedded in the ground, placed on the ground, or provided on an underside of a mat covering a passageway of the singling device.

15. A system for controlling access to an area comprising:

an access control device including a singling device;

a portable access authorization data carrier for mounting to an object for carrying by a user near the ground and for receiving and storing an access authorization;

a portable copyover data carrier separate from said portable access authorization data carrier, on which a coding authorization and an access authorization are stored upon acquisition; and

a reading and coding device for

     1) reading the coding authorization and the access authorization from the portable copy-over data carrier;

     2) sending the access authorization read from the portable copy-over data carrier to said portable access authorization data carrier for storage therein; and

     3) deleting the coding authorization on said portable copy-over data carrier,

wherein said reading and coding device enables access through the singling device each time a valid access authorization from said portable access authorization data carrier is detected.

16. The system of claim 15, wherein said singling device comprises one of a rotating barrier and a light barrier.

17. The system of claim 16, including a copy-over data carrier coding device remote from said access control apparatus for providing the coding authorization for storage in said portable copy-over data carrier.

18. The system of claim 15, wherein said portable copy-over data carrier and said portable access authorization data carrier each comprise an RFID transponder.

20. A method for controlling access of a person to an area comprising:

providing a copy-over data carrier coding device;

storing a coding authorization and an access authorization in a portable copy-over data carrier with the copy-over data carrier coding device;

providing the portable copy-over data carrier and providing a portable access authorization data carrier to a person at a first location;

providing an access control apparatus having a non-contact-type access authorization reading device disposed at a second location a distance from the first location;

providing a copy-over reading device and an access authorization data carrier coding device at the second location;

reading the coding authorization from the portable copy-over data carrier with the copy-over reading device at the second location;

reading the access authorization from the portable copy-over data carrier with the copy-over reading device at the second location;

in response to the coding authorization as read by the copy-over reading device, coding the access authorization onto the portable access authorization data carrier with the access authorization data carrier coding device to store the access authorization in the portable access authorization data carrier;

deleting the coding authorization from the portable copy-over data carrier so that the portable copy-over data carrier is usable only once for providing the access authorization to the portable access authorization data carrier;

detecting a valid access authorization from the presence of the portable access authorization data carrier, with the non-contact type access authorization reading device; and

repeatedly enabling access to the area for a person by operating the access control apparatus in response to the non-contact type access authorization reading device detecting a valid access authorization on the portable access authorization data carrier.

21. The method of claim 20, comprising:

providing the copy-over reading device, the non-contact-type access authorization reading device, and the access authorization data carrier coding device as a combined reading and coding device of the access control apparatus at the second location;

providing the non-contact-type access authorization reading device with a first antenna disposed in a ground area at the second location;

providing the access control apparatus with a second antenna disposed above the ground area at the second location; and

providing the access control apparatus with a singling device at the second location, the singling device enabling access of a person into the area in response to the combined reading and coding device detecting a valid access authorization stored on the portable access authorization data carrier, wherein the first location comprises a ticket office.