Access Control Occupancy Estimation Using Depth Sensor
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing access control systems lack effective mechanisms to prevent abuse by authorized individuals allowing unauthorized access, as they rely solely on privilege verification without counting actual occupancy.
Innovation Solution
An access control system that integrates a depth sensor above an entrance to count individuals using a hemi-ellipsoid model, comparing this count to the approved number of admittances, and inhibiting access if there is a discrepancy, with features like alarms, warnings, and privilege revocation.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If access control relies solely on privilege verification without occupancy counting, then the system is simple to operate, but it is vulnerable to abuse by authorized individuals allowing unauthorized access
Solution Approach 1:
The system implements feedback by continuously monitoring occupancy count and comparing it against the approved number of individuals. The depth sensor provides real-time occupancy data, and the system provides feedback by inhibiting access grants when discrepancies are detected, creating a closed-loop control system that prevents abuse
Solution Approach 2:
The depth sensor acts as an intermediary device that objectively measures occupancy without being influenced by authorized individuals' actions. This intermediary provides independent verification of the number of people in the facility, preventing manipulation by privileged users
2Reliability
If the system monitors and counts individual occupancy in real-time, then it can prevent unauthorized access effectively, but it increases system complexity and computational requirements
Solution Approach 1:
The system replaces manual or mechanical occupancy tracking with optical depth sensing technology. The depth sensor uses light-based measurement to detect and count individuals, substituting complex mechanical counting mechanisms with a more reliable and less complex optical sensing system
Solution Approach 2:
The system creates a digital copy or representation of the physical occupancy state through depth data. By modeling the occupancy based on depth sensor readings, the system maintains an accurate virtual representation of the physical space without requiring physical counters or manual tracking
Data Source
AI summary
An access control system includes an entrance threshold, a privilege access management module, a depth sensor, and an occupancy estimation module. The privilege access management module may be configured to, responsive to an authorization input from a reader, output an access grant to traverse the threshold and generate an approved number of individuals allowed admittance across the threshold during a predetermined period of time. The depth sensor may be located above the threshold and configured to generate and output 3-dimensional depth data. The occupancy estimation module may be in communication with the privilege access management module and configured to output a count of individuals crossing the threshold during the predetermined period of time, that is based on a hemi-ellipsoid model of the depth data. The access control system may, responsive to a difference between the approved number allowed admittance and count of individuals crossing the threshold, inhibit the access grant.