Integrated Access Control Device with Camera and Wireless Transceiver
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing access control systems for secure areas are complex and costly due to the need for multiple separate components, often requiring distinct solutions from different vendors for functionalities like access control, occupancy counting, and tailgating detection.
Innovation Solution
An access control system that includes a lock, a camera, and a wireless transceiver housed in a single device, which can receive an access code from a mobile device to determine authorization and unlock the gate, with optional integration with a remote server for user database access and video analytics for tailgating detection.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If multiple separate components are used for access control, occupancy counting, and tailgating detection, then each functionality can be provided by specialized solutions, but the system complexity and cost increase significantly
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines multiple separate access control components (access control reader, occupancy sensor, tailgating detection camera) into a single integrated access control device. The housing contains a controller, camera with image sensor, and occupancy sensor that work together as one unified system, eliminating the need for multiple separate components while maintaining all required functionalities.
Solution Approach 2:
The access control device is designed to perform multiple functions simultaneously: it controls access by verifying credentials, counts occupancy by detecting presence, and detects tailgating by analyzing video feeds. This multi-functional design allows a single device to replace what previously required multiple specialized components from different vendors.
2Adaptability or versatility
If multiple separate components are deployed, then each component can be optimized for its specific function, but installation and maintenance become more difficult
Solution Approach 1:
By merging multiple components into a single integrated device, the patent simplifies installation to a single deployment process rather than coordinating multiple installations. Maintenance is also simplified as there is one device to service rather than multiple separate components, reducing the operational burden while preserving specialized functionalities through dedicated sensors and processors within the unified system.
3Reliability
If multiple separate components are used, then comprehensive security monitoring is achieved, but the number of components requiring maintenance increases
Solution Approach 1:
The integrated design consolidates multiple security monitoring functions into a single maintainable unit. The controller manages all components (camera, occupancy sensor, access control logic) centrally, so maintenance personnel need to service only one device rather than multiple separate components, reducing the maintenance burden while maintaining comprehensive security monitoring through the coordinated operation of integrated sensors and processors.
Data Source
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AI summary
An access control system includes a lock that releasably locks an access gate and is configured to be releasably unlocked upon receiving an unlock signal. An access control device is deployable proximate the access gate and includes a housing that houses a camera configured to capture one or more images of persons in front of the access gate, a wireless transceiver, and a controller that is operably coupled with the camera and the wireless transceiver. The controller is configured to receive an access code from a mobile device carried by a person in front of the access gate and to identify whether the person with that access code is authorized to enter through the access gate. When confirmed, the controller is configured to provide the unlock signal to the lock to unlock the access gate when confirmed, and to not provide the unlock signal when not confirmed.