Acoustically-controlled access control installation and an access control device for such an installation

• US 8,085,124 B2
• Filed: 10/10/2005
• Issued: 12/27/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 10/12/2004
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Elo Touch Solutions, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Sensitive Object
• Inventors: Ing, Ros Kiri
• Primary Examiner(s): Mehmood, Jennifer
• Assistant Examiner(s): SMALL, NAOMI J
• Application Number:
  US11/577,087
• Publication Number:
  US 20090224870A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,269 Days
• Field of Search: 340/5.2
• US Class Current: 340/5.2
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 2009/00746 by knocking on a surface for inputting the code, e.g. detecting a series of taps on a surface
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 9/00174 Electronically operated locks; Circuits therefor; Nonmechanical keys therefor, e.g. passive or active electrical keys or other data carriers without mechanical keys mechanical locks with electric permutation E05B49/00; arrangements for sensing or reading record carriers G06K7/00; electronic switching H03K17/00
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 9/00944 Details of construction or manufacture

Abstract

An access control installation adapted for controlling access from a first zone to a second zone, said installation comprising: at least one separating panel separating the first and second zones, said separating panel having at least one moving closure element (1) adapted for selectively opening or closing an opening; at least one opening actuator (3a, 3b) adapted for causing the closure element (1) selectively to prevent or to allow access via the opening; and a control circuit (5) for controlling the opening actuator. Said installation further comprises at least one sound sensor (6) fastened to the separating panel on the same side as the second zone and adapted for detecting knocks on the first surface of said separating panel, and the control circuit (5) is adapted for: recognizing a predetermined code represented by a particular sequence of knocks on the first surface; and controlling the opening actuator as a function of the recognized code.

Claims

1. An access control installation adapted for controlling access from a first zone to a second zone, said installation comprising:

at least one separating panel separating the first and second zones and having a first surface on the same side as the first zone and a second surface on the same side as the second zone, said separating panel having at least one opening, and at least one moving closure element adapted for selectively opening or closing the opening;

at least one opening actuator adapted for causing the closure element selectively to prevent or to allow access via the opening; and

a control circuit for controlling the opening actuator;

said access control installation being characterized in that it further comprises at least one sound sensor fastened to the separating panel on the same side as the second zone and adapted for detecting knocks on the first surface of said separating panel, and in that the control circuit is adapted for;

determining relative positions of the knocks on the first surface of the separating panel;

recognizing a predetermined code represented by a particular sequence of the relative position of knocks on the first surface; and

controlling the opening actuator as a function of the recognized code;

the code that the control circuit is adapted to recognize comprising a sequence of a plurality of relative positions of knocks of the sequence on the first surface of the separating panel.

2. An installation according to claim 1, in which the control circuit comprises recognition means adapted for comparing a signal sensed by the sound sensor with at least one predetermined signal corresponding to the signal that is sensed when a knock is generated on at least one predetermined zone belonging to the first surface of the panel, and means for associating each knock with said predetermined zone if said sensed signal is similar enough to said predetermined signal.

3. An installation according to claim 1, in which the code that the control circuit is adapted to recognize is characterized by the timing pattern of the sequence of knocks.

4. An installation according to claim 1, further comprising a representation of at least one keypad key affixed to the first surface of the separating panel in register with said at least one predetermined zone.

5. An installation according to claim 4, further comprising at least one keypad key (15) including a mechanical device which, when pressure is exerted on said key, generates a knock on the first surface of the separating panel.

6. An installation according to claim 1, in which the opening actuator is provided with an auxiliary opening mechanism for opening the closure element, which mechanism can be actuated manually.

7. An installation according to claim 1, in which the opening actuator and the control circuit form a single control unit.

8. An installation according to claim 1, in which the opening actuator and the control circuit are contained in a housing fastened to the second surface of the separating panel.

9. An installation according to claim 8, in which the sound sensor is received between the housing and the second surface of the separating panel.

10. An installation according to claim 1, in which the closure element comprises a door to which the at least one sound sensor, the opening actuator, and the control circuit are fastened.

11. An installation according to claim 1, further comprising a power supply circuit connected to a surrounding electricity network.

12. An installation according to claim 1, further comprising a power supply circuit, having an electricity source of the electrochemical type.

13. An acoustically-controlled access control device for an acoustically-controlled access control installation, said device comprising:

at least one opening actuator adapted for causing a closure element selectively to prevent or to allow access via an opening; and

a control circuit for controlling the opening actuator;

said acoustically-controlled access control device being characterized in that it further comprises at least one sound sensor fastened to a separating panel on the same side as a second zone and adapted for detecting knocks on a first surface of said separating panel;

in that the opening actuator and the control circuit form a single control unit;

and in that the control circuit is adapted for;

determining relative positions of the knocks on the first surface of the separating panel;

recognizing a predetermined code represented by a particular sequence of the relative positions of knocks on the first surface; and

controlling the opening actuator as a function of the recognized code;

the code that the control circuit is adapted to recognize comprising a sequence of a plurality of a plurality of knocks of the sequence.

14. A device according to claim 13, in which the control circuit comprises recognition means adapted for comparing a signal sensed by the sound sensor with at least one predetermined signal corresponding to the signal that is sensed when a knock is generated on at least one predetermined zone belonging to the first surface of the panel;

and means for associating each knock with said predetermined zone if said sensed signal is similar enough to said predetermined signal.

15. A device according to claim 13, in which the code that the control circuit is adapted to recognize is characterized by the timing pattern of the sequence of knocks.

16. A device according to claim 13, further comprising a representation of at least one keypad key affixed to the first surface of the separating panel.

17. A device according to claim 13, further comprising at least one keypad key including a mechanical device which, when pressure is exerted on said key generates a knock.

18. A device according to claim 13, in which the opening actuator is provided with an auxiliary opening mechanism which can be actuated manually.

19. A device according to claim 13, in which the opening actuator and the control circuit are contained in a housing adapted to be fastened to a surface.

20. A device according to claim 19, in which the sound sensor is fastened to the housing.

21. A device according to claim 13, further comprising a power supply circuit connected to a surrounding electricity network.

22. A device according to claim 13, further comprising a power supply circuit, having an electricity source of the electrochemical type.