Thermographic Access Control for Credential and Fever Screening
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing building access and elevator systems face challenges in efficiently and non-invasively detecting and managing users with elevated body temperatures, leading to potential health risks and privacy concerns.
Innovation Solution
A building system incorporating a thermographic camera and image processing system to measure and analyze a user's body temperature and facial features, enabling automated access control and elevator operation based on credential verification and temperature thresholds, with optional secondary processing for feverish users.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If traditional entry control systems use only credential verification (keys, cards, codes), then the system is simple to operate, but it cannot prevent unauthorized access or identify individuals accurately
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines multiple verification methods (credential verification and body temperature measurement) into a single integrated access control system. The control unit receives both the credential verification result and the body temperature measurement, merging these two independent verification streams to make a comprehensive access decision, thereby improving reliability without requiring separate independent systems
Solution Approach 2:
The access control system is designed with multi-functionality by incorporating both traditional credential verification functions and new body temperature measurement functions within a single system. The control unit serves multiple purposes: verifying credentials, measuring temperature, and making integrated access decisions, thereby reducing the need for separate specialized systems
2Reliability
If the system implements both credential verification and body temperature measurement, then access security is improved, but the verification process becomes more complex and time-consuming
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs body temperature measurement in advance as part of the normal access verification process. By continuously or periodically monitoring temperature and having the measurement ready before the final access decision is needed, the system avoids adding significant time delay. The temperature measurement is integrated into the verification flow rather than being a separate post-processing step
Solution Approach 2:
The control unit uses feedback from both the credential verification result and the body temperature measurement to make real-time access decisions. The system continuously monitors temperature data and credential status, using this feedback to dynamically control access permissions. This feedback mechanism allows the system to respond quickly to changing conditions without requiring lengthy verification processes
3Reliability
If the system measures body temperature for access control, then health safety is improved, but the device complexity and cost increase
Solution Approach 1:
The access control system is designed with multi-functionality by incorporating both traditional credential verification functions and new body temperature measurement functions within a single system. The control unit serves multiple purposes: verifying credentials, measuring temperature, and making integrated access decisions, thereby reducing the need for separate specialized systems
Solution Approach 2:
The control unit acts as an intermediary that coordinates between the credential verification module and the body temperature measurement module. Rather than requiring direct integration of complex subsystems, the control unit receives inputs from both modules, processes them together, and makes the final access decision. This intermediary approach simplifies the overall system architecture by providing a centralized coordination layer
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
Early detection and management of feverish users reduce the risk of infection spread while maintaining user privacy and system efficiency, allowing authorized and healthy users seamless access.
Implementation Method 1
obtain a body temperature of the individual using an infrared sensor
Data Source
Figure 1~2
Figure 3
AI summary
A building system (1), e.g., an elevator system, a physical access control system or a combined elevator and physical access control system, has a controller system (18) to control the building system (1) to perform a building action, and a credential acquisition unit (24a) to acquire a credential presented by a user (2), wherein the credential determines whether or not the user (2) is an authorized user (2) within a building. The building system (1) includes further a camera system (24) having a thermographic camera (24b), which generates an infrared image of a face of the user (2), and an image processing system (6) communicatively coupled to the camera system (24) and the controller system (1). The image processing system (6) processes the infrared image to determine if the user's face shows a temperature value that is higher than a set threshold temperature value and to generate a first result signal indicative of whether or not the temperature value is higher than the threshold temperature value. The controller system (18) enables or disables the building action as a function of the acquired user credential and the result signal.