Biometric access control system

• US 9,355,510 B2
• Filed: 12/17/2014
• Issued: 05/31/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 07/18/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Law Enforcement Intelligent Devices LLC
• Original Assignee: Law Enforcement Intelligent Devices LLC
• Inventors: Crigger, Rick, Foster, David G., Hoff, Sam
• Primary Examiner(s): SYED, NABIL H
• Application Number:
  US14/572,964
• Publication Number:
  US 20150102901A1
• Time in Patent Office: 531 Days
• Field of Search: 340/5.53
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: A47B 81/005 Devices for storing or displaying rifles, guns, pistols or elongated objects such as fishing rods storing fishing rods or the like in vehicles B60R7/08; storing guns in vehicles B60R7/14; cases for carrying guns F41C33/00
• CPC Class Codes: E05B 73/00 Devices for locking portable objects against unauthorised removal; Miscellaneous locking devices motorcycle helmets A42B3/0413; supporting arrangements specially adapted for fastening helmets B62J11/24; gun racks A47B81/005; showcases with theft protection A47F3/002; anti-theft means for peg-boards, grids or rods for hanging merchandise A47F5/0861; show stands, hangers, shelves with provision against unauthorised removal A47F7/024; for self-service hand-carts A47F10/04; locking skis A63C11/004; locking bolts, nuts or pins F16B41/00
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 40/12 Fingerprints or palmprints
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 9/253 visually
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 9/28 the pass enabling tracking or indicating presence
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 9/37 using biometric data, e.g. fingerprints, iris scans or voice recognition
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 70/7441 Key

Abstract

A biometric access control system includes an equipment structure in communication with an identification station, which includes a processor, a user biometric reader, an equipment identification reader, a user interface to display categories of equipment authorized for use by a user and to receive input from the user including an indication to acquire or return the piece of equipment and a selection of an equipment category and a selection of a specific piece of equipment of the selected equipment category. The equipment structure includes storage locations for storing pieces of equipment assigned to the storage locations, and locks corresponding to the storage locations for individually securing the pieces of equipment to the structure, wherein an authorization signal from the identification station is receivable to release a lock containing the selected specific piece of equipment to permit removal of the selected specific piece of equipment.

Claims

1. A biometric access control system, comprising:

an identification station, including;

a biometric reader to read biometric input from a user for recording the user'"'"'s identity,

an identification reader to read an identification of a piece of equipment to be acquired or returned by the user,

a user interface to receive input from the user, including an indication to acquire or return the piece of equipment, and to display a plurality of categories of equipment authorized for use by the user, and to receive further input from the user including a selection of one of the equipment categories and a selection of a specific piece of equipment of the selected equipment category, and

a processor in communication with the biometric reader, identification reader, and the user interface; and

an equipment structure in communication with the identification station, and including;

a plurality of storage locations for storing a plurality of pieces of equipment assigned to the plurality of storage locations, and

a plurality of locks corresponding to the plurality of storage locations for individually securing the plurality of pieces of equipment to the structure,

wherein an authorization signal from the identification station is receivable to release a lock of the plurality of locks containing the selected specific piece of equipment to permit removal of the selected specific piece of equipment.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the transaction log reports include video footage of user actions from user log in until logout.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the locks include clamps.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the user interface also displays the plurality of pieces of equipment from the selected equipment category.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the biometric reader, identification reader, and processor cooperate to log user identification and equipment acquisitions and returns, and generate transaction log reports.

6. The system of claim 5, wherein the identification station also includes a remote access interface to allow remote user access to the transaction log reports.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein the user interface includes a touch screen, the biometric reader includes a fingerprint input module, and the identification reader includes a radio frequency identification (RFID) reader to read an RFID identifying tag incorporated into a location associated with the selected piece of equipment such that, upon presentation of the selected piece of equipment to the RFID reader, the processor logs the selected piece of equipment into the system.

8. The system of claim 1, wherein the equipment structure also includes a plurality of sensors aligned with the plurality of locks to indicate presence or absence of the pieces of equipment.

9. The system of claim 1, wherein the user interface also receives input from the user including an indication that a returned piece of equipment requires maintenance, a reason for the required maintenance, and the selection of the specific piece of equipment that is not locked out from acquisition because the specific piece of equipment has been indicated as requiring maintenance, and wherein the authorization signal from the identification station is receivable to release a lock of the plurality of locks containing the selected specific piece of equipment to permit removal of the selected specific piece of equipment that is authorized for the user and not locked out from acquisition as requiring maintenance.

10. The system of claim 9, wherein the identification station and equipment structure cooperate to provide an emergency override mode to permit access to all equipment not indicated as requiring maintenance.

11. The system of claim 9, wherein the biometric reader, identification reader, and processor cooperate to enable logging of equipment acquisitions and returns and provide a history of equipment maintenance and usage.

12. The system of claim 1, wherein the equipment structure is a weapon rack, the piece of equipment is a weapon, the plurality of categories of equipment is a plurality categories of weapons, the selection of one of the equipment categories is a selection of one of the weapons categories, and the specific piece of equipment is a specific weapon, the plurality of storage locations also includes a plurality of supporting pockets to secure the weapons, and the plurality of locks is a plurality of clamps to additionally secure the weapons to prevent weapon removal by disassembly.

13. The system of claim 1, wherein an authorization signal from the identification station is receivable by the equipment structure to release a clamp of the plurality of clamps containing the selected piece of equipment to permit removal of the selected piece of equipment, and wherein the pieces of equipment are individually locked and visible.

14. The system of claim 1, wherein the equipment structure also includes a plurality of lights to indicate lock open conditions.

15. The system of claim 1, wherein the user interface also receives input from the user including an indication to return the piece of equipment, and the user interface displays a list of equipment currently acquired by the user, and wherein the piece of equipment is scanned by the identification reader and automatically selected in the displayed equipment list.

16. The system of claim 1, wherein the user interface receives a choose equipment selection from the user to unlock a lock corresponding to a storage location for the selected specific piece of equipment to permit replacement thereof.

17. A biometric access control system, comprising:

an identification station, including;

a biometric reader to read biometric input from a user for recording the user'"'"'s identity,

an identification reader to read an identification of a piece of equipment to be returned or acquired by the user,

a user interface to receive input from the user including an indication to return or acquire the piece of equipment, an indication that a returned piece of equipment requires maintenance, and a reason for the required maintenance, and to display a plurality of categories of equipment authorized for use by the user, and to receive further input from the user including a selection of an equipment category and a selection of a specific piece of equipment of the selected equipment category that is not locked out from acquisition because the specific piece of equipment has been indicated as requiring maintenance, and

a processor in communication with the biometric reader, identification reader, and the user interface,

wherein the biometric reader, identification reader, and processor cooperate to enable logging of equipment acquisitions and returns and provide a history of equipment maintenance and usage; and

an equipment structure in communication with the identification station, and including;

a plurality of storage locations for storing a plurality of pieces of equipment assigned to the plurality of storage locations, and

a plurality of locks corresponding to the plurality of storage locations for individually securing the plurality of pieces of equipment to the structure,

wherein an authorization signal from the identification station is receivable to release a lock of the plurality of locks containing the selected specific piece of equipment to permit removal of the selected specific piece of equipment that is authorized for the user and not locked out from acquisition as requiring maintenance.

18. The system of claim 17, wherein the identification station and equipment structure cooperate to provide an emergency override mode to permit access to all equipment not indicated as requiring maintenance.

19. The system of claim 17, wherein the biometric reader, identification reader, and processor cooperate to log user identification and equipment acquisitions and returns, and generate transaction log reports.

20. The system of claim 17, wherein the user interface includes a touch screen, the biometric reader includes a fingerprint input module, and the identification reader includes a radio frequency identification (RFID) reader to read an RFID identifying tag incorporated into a location associated with the selected piece of equipment such that, upon presentation of the selected piece of equipment to the RFID reader, the processor logs the asset into the system.