Elevator system preventing unauthorized use

• US 9,240,084 B2
• Filed: 05/04/2015
• Issued: 01/19/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 12/20/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Dov Ehrman
• Original Assignee: TechIP International Limited
• Inventors: Vardi, Eyal Dov, Ehrman, Dov
• Primary Examiner(s): Previl, Daniel
• Application Number:
  US14/703,028
• Publication Number:
  US 20150235489A1
• Time in Patent Office: 260 Days
• Field of Search: 340/5.6, 3405681-5682, 340/539.13, 3405721-5729, 340/568.6, 340/568.8, 340/571, 340/686.6, 340/691.6, 340/692
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 9/20 involving the use of a pass
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 9/28 the pass enabling tracking or indicating presence
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 13/02 Mechanical actuation
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 13/1463 Physical arrangements, e.g. housings devices to prevent theft or loss of purses, luggage or hand carried bags A45C13/18
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 21/0211 Combination with medical sensor, e.g. for measuring heart rate, temperature
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 21/0286 Tampering or removal detection of the child unit from child or article
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 21/0288 Attachment of child unit to child/article
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 21/0453 worn on the body to detect health condition by physiological monitoring, e.g. electrocardiogram, temperature, breathing detecting, measuring or recording for diagnostic purposes A61B5/00
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 21/0492 Sensor dual technology, i.e. two or more technologies collaborate to extract unsafe condition, e.g. video tracking and RFID tracking
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 21/22 responsive to presence or absence of persons

Abstract

A tamper alert band is provided that includes a strap with conductive and non-conductive elements or layers. The tamper alert band includes an electronic or RFID device that is configured to communicate with RFID readers and/or exciters. The strap may be a single unitary body that has a conductive layer and a non-conductive layer.

Claims

1. A system preventing operation of an elevator by unauthorized users, the system comprising:

monitoring devices having wireless communication capability and configured to be worn by unauthorized users that are not authorized to ride an elevator without accompaniment by an authorized user;

electronic tags having wireless communication capability and configured to be worn by authorized users;

at least one location detector having wireless communication capability localized to an elevator area and configured to;

detect the presence of an unauthorized user by wireless communication with at least one of the monitoring devices located within said elevator area, and

ascertain the presence of an authorized user by wireless communication with at least one of the electronic tags located within said elevator area; and

a control system coupled to said at least one location detector and to said elevator, said control system being configured to allow, upon detection of the presence of the unauthorized user, operation of the elevator if and only if the presence of the authorized user is also ascertained to be accompanying the unauthorized user.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein said elevator operation includes allowing closure of a door of the elevator.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the unauthorized user is a resident of a healthcare facility, and the authorized user is a staff member of the healthcare facility.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the control system is a computer server that is coupled to the elevator, wherein the operation of the elevator is controlled by the server by sending a signal from the computer server to the elevator to operate the elevator in accordance therewith.

5. A method preventing operation of an elevator by unauthorized users in a facility that accommodates (a) unauthorized users that wear monitoring devices having wireless communication capability, the unauthorized users are not authorized to ride the elevator without accompaniment by an authorized user, and (b) authorized users, which selectably accompany unauthorized users, and wear electronic tags having wireless communication capability, the method comprising:

detecting the presence of an unauthorized user at an elevator location by wireless communication with a monitoring device;

ascertaining the presence of an authorized user at said elevator location by wireless communication with an electronic tag;

processing, with a computer system coupled to said elevator, results from said detecting and ascertaining; and

responsive to the processing and if said detecting is positive, controlling, via the computer system, the elevator to allow operation thereof if and only if said ascertaining is also positive.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein said allowing operation includes allowing closure of a door of the elevator.

7. The method of claim 5, wherein the unauthorized user is a resident of a healthcare facility, and the authorized user is a staff member of the healthcare facility.

8. A system preventing operation of an elevator by unauthorized residents in a facility that accommodates residents and staff members, at least some residents being unauthorized to ride the elevator without accompaniment by a staff member, the system comprising:

monitoring devices configured to be worn by unauthorized residents, each of the monitoring devices including a wireless communication device;

electronic tags configured to be worn by staff members, each of the electronic tags including a wireless communication device;

at least one location detector having wireless communication capability within an elevator and configured to;

detect, based on wireless communication with the wireless communication device of a monitoring device, whether an unauthorized resident is located in the elevator, and

ascertain, based on wireless communication with the wireless communication device of an electronic tag, whether a staff member is located in the elevator with the unauthorized resident; and

a control system coupled to said at least one location detector and to said elevator, said control system configured to allow, when said detection of an unauthorized resident in the elevator is positive, operation of the elevator if and only if said ascertainment of the presence of a staff member in the elevator is also positive.

9. The system of claim 8, wherein said allowed operation includes allowing closure of a door of the elevator.

10. A method preventing operation of an elevator by unauthorized users in a facility that accommodates residents wearing monitoring devices and staff members wearing electronic tags, and wherein at least some residents are unauthorized to ride the elevator without accompaniment by a staff member, the method comprising:

detecting, based on wireless communication with a monitoring device, whether an unauthorized resident is located in an elevator;

ascertaining, based on wireless communication with an electronic tag, whether a staff member is located in the elevator with the unauthorized resident; and

responsive to detection of the unauthorized resident in the elevator, sending a control signal from an electronic control system to the elevator to allow operation of the elevator if and only if said ascertaining of the presence of a staff member is positive.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein the operation of the elevator includes allowing closure of a door of the elevator.