Evaluation of the security situation in a building by means of a radio tomographic location and detection method and by means of RFID reading devices

• US 9,503,620 B2
• Filed: 09/30/2011
• Issued: 11/22/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 09/01/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Siemens Schweiz AG (Siemens AG)
• Original Assignee: Siemens AG
• Inventors: Konrad, Hilmar, Wieser, Dieter
• Primary Examiner(s): BLOUNT, ERIC
• Application Number:
  US14/342,424
• Publication Number:
  US 20140375454A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,880 Days
• Field of Search: 340/552
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 7/10366 the interrogation device being adapted for miscellaneous applications
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 13/24 by interference with electromagnetic field distribution
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 13/248 EAS system combined with another detection technology, e.g. dual EAS and video or other presence detection system
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 13/2491 Intrusion detection systems, i.e. where the body of an intruder causes the interference with the electromagnetic field
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/51 Housings
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/33 Transforming infrared radiation cameras or camera modules for generating image signals from infrared radiation H04N23/20; circuitry of SSIS for transforming infrared radiation into image signals H04N25/20
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/18 Closed-circuit television [CCTV] systems, i.e. systems in which the video signal is not broadcast

Abstract

A method and a system evaluate a security situation in a building. The building has accommodation areas with access authorization for authorized persons. A count of the persons present in the accommodation areas is determined in that, in a radio network which contains a plurality of radio stations arranged spatially distributed in the ceiling, wall or floor, the influencing of the radio field of the radio stations between one another by persons physically present there is evaluated, by a radio tomographic location and detection method. A current count of identifiers which are read by RFID reading devices of RFID transponders is determined, the identifiers being carried by authorized persons. The RFID reading devices are arranged there spatially distributed in the ceiling, wall or floor. Based on the respective counts of personal identifiers and the determined person count, an indicator for evaluating the current security situation in the building is determined.

Claims

1. A method for evaluating a security situation in a building, the building having accommodation areas with access authorization for authorized persons, which comprises the steps of:

determining a first current count of persons physically present in at least a partial region of the accommodation areas via a radio network containing a plurality of radio stations disposed spatially distributed in a ceiling, wall or floor region, an influencing of a radio field of the radio stations between one another by the persons physically present there is evaluated, the plurality of radio stations configured to transmit in a microwave frequency range selected for a high radio absorption by human bodies;

determining in each case, a second current count of identifiers, read by radio frequency identification (RFID) reading devices, of RFID transponders, the identifiers being carried by the authorized persons in compliance with regulations and the RFID reading devices also being disposed there spatially distributed in the ceiling, wall or floor region; and

determining and outputting an indicator for evaluating a current security situation in the building, based on the second current count of the identifiers and the first current count the persons;

determining a current total person count at a higher level based on influencing of the radio field by the persons present, in a plurality of overlapping radio networks; and

determining a current total identifier count at a higher level based on all the identifiers detectable there;

performing at least one of;

determining a difference between the first and second current counts continuously as the indicator for the current security situation;

determining a difference between the current total person count and the current total identifier count continuously as the indicator for the current security situation; and

outputting a signal if the difference in any case exceeds a pre-determined comparison value; and

outputting a further signal if the second current count of the identifiers is recognized as being non-valid and exceeds a pre-determined further comparison value.

2. The method according to claim 1, which further comprises determining and outputting at least one of a location of each physically present person in the radio network or a location of each read RFID transponder.

3. The method according to claim 1, wherein at least part of the radio stations of the radio network simultaneously assumes a function of an RFID reading device.

4. The method according to claim 3, wherein each of the radio stations is configured, in order to determine the first current count of the persons physically present in the radio network, to transmit in a microwave frequency range.

5. The method according to claim 3, which further comprises configuring each of the radio stations for contactlessly reading of the RFID transponders and to transmit in a microwave frequency range.

6. The method according to claim 1, wherein at least part of the radio stations is simultaneously a wireless local area network (WLAN) radio station, configured for transmit and receive operation.

7. The method according to claim 6, wherein the WLAN radio station simultaneously has a function of a router for passing on radio data to at least one further WLAN radio station within radio range and/or to a further WLAN router situated within the radio range.

8. The method according to claim 1, which further comprises determining the first current count of the persons physically present by means of a radio tomographic location and detection method.

9. The method according to claim 1, wherein at least part of the radio stations is simultaneously a wireless local area network radio station, configured for transmit and receive operation, in the 2.4 GHz frequency band or in the 5 GHz frequency band.

10. The method according to claim 1, which further comprises detecting and locating persons with missing, non-readable or non-valid identifiers.

18. The method of claim 1, wherein the microwave frequency range is in a region from 2.45 GHz to 2.5 GHz.

11. A radio station for operating in a radio network with further radio stations, the radio station configured for receiving and transmitting radio signals, the radio station comprising:

a first data interface for outputting a current received field strength value of the radio station, the radio station configured for contactlessly reading out identifiers from radio frequency identification transponders located in a radio detection region of the radio station, in a manner of an RFID reading device, and the radio station being configured for outputting at said first data interface detected identifiers and/or a current count of the identifiers, the radio station configured to transmit in a microwave frequency range selected for a high radio absorption by human bodies, wherein the radio station is a wireless local area network (WLAN) radio station;

the WLAN radio station containing a second data interface for receiving radio data to be transmitted and for outputting received radio data at said second data interface;

a third data interface; and

a detection unit for detecting smoke, smoke particles or combustion gas particles and for outputting a detection value formed by said detection unit and/or a measurement variable derived there from as a measure of a concentration of detected smoke, fire or combustion gas particles and/or to output an alarm or warning signal derived there from to said third data interface, and the radio station is configured to output the detection value and/or the measurement variable derived there from as a measure of the concentration of the detected smoke, the fire or the combustion gas particles and/or to output the alarm or warning signal derived there from to said third data interface.

12. A system for evaluating a security situation in a building, the building having accommodation areas with access authorization for authorized persons, the system comprising:

a radio network having a plurality of radio stations receiving and transmitting radio signals, each of said radio stations having a first data interface for outputting a current received field strength value of said radio station, said radio stations configured for contactlessly reading out identifiers from radio frequency identification transponders located in a radio detection region of said radio station, in a manner of an RFID reading device, and said radio stations configured for outputting at said first data interface detected identifiers and/or a current count of the identifiers, said plurality of radio stations configured to transmit in a microwave frequency range selected for a high radio absorption by human bodies; and

a higher-level central unit connected for signal or data exchange with said radio stations, said higher-level central unit configured, based on the identifiers received by each of said radio stations, to determine the current count of the identifiers, and based on the current received field strength values received by each of said radio stations to determine a current person count of persons physically present and, based on the current person count and the current count of the identifiers to determine and output an indicator for evaluating a current security situation in the building;

said central unit determining continuously a difference between the current person count and the current count of the identifiers as the indicator for the current security situation and, where appropriate, to output a signal if the difference in any case exceeds a pre-determined comparison value; and

said central unit configured to output a further signal if the current count of the identifiers recognized as being non-valid exceeds a further pre-determined comparison value.

13. The system according to claim 12, wherein said central unit is configured to determine and output a location of each physically present person and/or a location of each read RFID transponder.

14. The system according to claim 12, further comprising a danger signaling central unit configured for higher-level detection of a detection value and/or an alarm or warning signal derived there from which have been transmitted by each of said radio stations.

15. The system according to claim 14, wherein said higher-level central unit and said danger signaling central unit constitute a common central unit as one component.

16. The system according to claim 12, wherein said radio stations are wireless local area network radio stations and each contain a second data interface for receiving radio data to be transmitted and for outputting received radio data at said second data interface, said WLAN radio stations constitute a WLAN radio network with a router function and wherein at least one of said WLAN radio stations is connected for data exchange to an Internet and/or an intranet network node.

17. A system for evaluating a security situation in a building, the building having accommodation areas with access authorization for authorized persons, the system comprising:

a radio network having a plurality of radio stations receiving and transmitting radio signals, each of said radio stations having a first data interface for outputting a current received field strength value of said radio station, said radio stations configured for contactlessly reading out identifiers from radio frequency identification transponders located in a radio detection region of said radio station, in a manner of an RFID reading device, and said radio stations configured for outputting at said first data interface detected identifiers and/or a current count of the identifiers, said plurality of radio stations configured to transmit in a microwave frequency range selected for a high radio absorption by human bodies; and

a higher-level central unit connected for signal or data exchange with said radio stations, said higher-level central unit configured, based on the identifiers received by each of said radio stations, to determine the current count of the identifiers, and based on the current received field strength values received by each of said radio stations to determine a current person count of persons physically present and, based on the current person count and the current count of the identifiers to determine and output an indicator for evaluating a current security situation in the building; and

wherein said higher-level central unit uses a radio tomographic location and detection method to determine the current person count of the persons physically present.