System and method for boarding area security

• US 8,653,970 B2
• Filed: 08/12/2009
• Issued: 02/18/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 08/13/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Cognyte Technologies Israel Ltd. (Cognyte Software Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: Verint Systems Limited (Verint Systems Incorporated)
• Inventors: Hazzani, Gideon
• Primary Examiner(s): Bugg, George
• Assistant Examiner(s): OBINIYI, PAULSON IDOWU
• Application Number:
  US12/539,640
• Publication Number:
  US 20100039259A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,651 Days
• Field of Search: 340/541, 340 101- 106, 3405721-5729, 235375-385
• US Class Current: 340/541
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 9/257 electronically G07C9/26 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 9/27 with central registration
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 9/28 the pass enabling tracking or indicating presence
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 21/0227 System arrangements with a plurality of child units
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 21/0275 Electronic Article Surveillance [EAS] tag technology used for parent or child unit, e.g. same transmission technology, magnetic tag, RF tag, RFID
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 21/22 responsive to presence or absence of persons

Abstract

A security method that includes defining rules specifying permitted movements of passengers in a transportation terminal. Passengers entering the terminal may be issued a boarding pass having a Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) tag attached thereto. The location of the RFID tag may be measured and responsive to the measured location of the RFID tag, a violation of at least one of the rules by the passenger may be detected. An action with respect to the detected violation may be taken. The rules may define a region that is forbidden for access, a region in which the passengers are expected to be in motion, a region in which the passengers are expected not to be stationary for more than a given time period, etc.

Claims

1. A security method, comprising:

defining one or more rules specifying permitted movements of passengers in a transportation terminal;

issuing to a passenger entering the terminal a boarding pass having a Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) tag attached thereto;

measuring a location of the RFID tag by using a transceiver, wherein the transceiver can detect the RFID signal from several meters or more;

responsively to the measured location of the RFID tag, detecting a violation of at least one of the rules performed by the passenger; and

invoking an action with respect to the detected violation,

wherein at least one of the rules specifies a region in which the passengers are expected to be in motion, and wherein detecting the violation comprises detecting that the passenger is located in the specified region but is not in motion, and

wherein issuing the boarding pass comprises uploading information regarding the passenger into the RFID tag, wherein measuring the location comprises extracting the uploaded information from the RFID tag through the transceiver.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein at least one of the rules specifies a region that is forbidden for access, and wherein detecting the violation comprises detecting that the passenger is located in the specified region.

3. The method according to claim 1, wherein at least one of the rules specifies a region in which the passengers are expected not to be stationary for more than a given time period, and wherein detecting the violation comprises detecting that the passenger is stationary in the specified region for longer than the given time period.

4. The method according to claim 1, wherein the transportation terminal comprises at least first and second separate terminals, wherein issuing the boarding pass comprises issuing the boarding pass at the first terminal, and wherein measuring the location comprises measuring the location of the RFID tag at the second terminal.

5. The method according to claim 1, wherein invoking the action comprises issuing an alert.

6. The method according to claim 5, wherein issuing the alert comprises reporting at least part of the extracted information in the alert.

7. The method according to claim 5, wherein issuing the alert comprises providing the alert to a monitoring center.

8. The method according to claim 5, wherein issuing the alert comprises transmitting the alert to a wireless communication terminal.

9. The method according to claim 1, wherein issuing the boarding pass comprises attaching another RFID tag to a luggage item that is admitted by the passenger into the terminal, wherein measuring the location comprises measuring a first location of the RFID tag and a second location of the other RFID tag, and wherein detecting the violation comprises detecting a mismatch between the first and second locations.

10. A security method, comprising:

defining a rule specifying permitted movements of luggage items in a transportation terminal;

attaching a Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) tag to a luggage item that is admitted by a passenger into the terminal;

measuring a location of the RFID tag by using a transceiver, wherein the transceiver can detect the RFID signal from several meters or more;

responsively to the measured location of the RFID tag, detecting a violation of the rule by the luggage item; and

invoking an action with respect to the detected violation,

wherein at least one rule specifies a region in which a luggage item is expected to be in motion, and wherein the processor is coupled to detect that a luggage time is located in the specified region but is not in motion, and

wherein information regarding the passenger is uploaded into the RFID tag, wherein measuring the location comprises extracting the uploaded information from the RFID tag through the transceiver.

11. The method according to claim 10, wherein at least one of the rules specifies a region in which the luggage items are expected not to be stationary for more than a given time period, and wherein detecting the violation comprises detecting that the luggage item is stationary in the specified region for longer than the given time period.

12. The method according to claim 10, wherein a given rule specifies permitted relations between the movements of multiple luggage items, wherein attaching the RFID tag comprises attaching two or more RFID tags to respective luggage items admitted into the terminal, wherein measuring the location comprises measuring respective locations of the RFID tags, and wherein detecting the violation comprises detecting the violation of the given rule responsively to the measured locations.

13. A security system, comprising:

a Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) tag, which is attached to a boarding pass that is issued to a passenger entering a transportation terminal;

one or more RFID transceivers, which are coupled to measure a location of the RFID tag, wherein the transceiver can detect the RFID signal from several meters or more; and

a processor, which is coupled to accept a definition of one or more rules specifying permitted movements of passengers in the terminal, to detect a violation of at least one of the rules performed by the passenger responsively to the measured location of the RFID tag, and to invoke an action with respect to the detected violation,

wherein at least one of the rules specifies a region in which the passengers are expected to be in motion, and wherein the processor is coupled to detect that the passenger is located in the specified region but is not in motion, and

wherein the boarding pass comprises uploaded information regarding the passenger into the RFID tag, wherein measuring the location comprises extracting the uploaded information from the RFID tag through the transceiver.

14. The system according to claim 13, wherein at least one of the rules specifies a region that is forbidden for access, and wherein the processor is coupled to detect that the passenger is located in the specified region.

15. The system according to claim 13, wherein at least one of the rules specifies a region in which the passengers are expected not to be stationary for more than a given time period, and wherein the processor is coupled to detect that the passenger is stationary in the specified region for longer than the given time period.

16. The system according to claim 13, wherein the transportation terminal comprises at least first and second separate terminals, wherein the boarding pass is issued at the first terminal, and wherein the RFID transceivers are coupled to measure the location of the RFID tag at the second terminal.

17. The system according to claim 13, wherein the processor is coupled to invoke the action by issuing an alert.

18. The system according to claim 17, wherein the processor is coupled to report at least part of the extracted information in the alert.