AU2008202325A1 - Personnel Management System - Google Patents

Description

Pool Secon 29 AUSTRALIA 9th 32(2) Patents Act 1990 COMPLETE SPECIFICATION STANDARD PATENT Application Number: Lodged: Invention Title: Personnel Management System The following statement Is a full description of this invention, including the best method of performing it known to us: 1 PERSONNEL MANAGEMENT SYSTEM FIELD OF THE INVENTION The present invention relates generally to the field of facilities and building management and more specifically to systems for managing personnel such as 5 contractors and staff members at a particular site. BACKGROUND TO THE INVENTION Facilities managers are often in charge of a number of buildings which may be in close proximity to each other or may be spread across a number of locations. At various times, such buildings will require the presence of personnel 10 such as contractors on-site to perform, for example, safety checks or maintenance work. While it is preferred that contractors performing work on such a site are monitored and supervised, in a large number of cases on-site supervision is simply not an option. For example, in many medium to low grade office buildings, the scale or income base required to support on-site supervision 15 is often lacking. Nevertheless, these premises still require some means of recording contractor activity, and ensuring that services are actually being provided. Many of these services, such as lift maintenance and fire system checks are critical to the safety of tenants - however when on-site supervision is not available, the 20 ability to monitor and verify that these crucial maintenance tasks and safety checks have been completed is limited. Cleaning companies and security companies provide services to a large number of isolated and remote sites such as public schools, bank branches, small retail stores, telephone exchanges and electricity sub-stations, etc. Personnel 25 who perform the required services at these locations often work alone, have no immediate supervision, and may sometimes be the only people at the site. Accordingly, there is a need to verify the attendance of the staff member at the site (including log-on and log-off times) and possibly, at certain locations at the site. It is also desirable in certain circumstances to allow for "welfare" checks, le 30 real time checks which require staff members to periodically call In and report that they are fine (especially important for security guards). Reconlal of contractor entry and general activity has traditionally been left to paper based systems which are located on site. However, such systems are 2 unreliable, and are vulnerable to damage and loss. Additionally, there is a level of trust placed on the service providers to update -and maintain these records accurately and honestly. Some systems in the marketplace utilise call-in technology to track 5 contractor movement, is a fixed line telephone Is placed on site which the staff member uses to dial in at the specified times. Such systems must use independent single phone lines (not run through a switch, PABX, or VOIP system) as the distinct line number is used to verify that the person is actually at the site. The drawbacks of this system include a) the cost of installing and maintaining 10 phone lines as well as the ongoing costs of line rental, b) the logistical difficulty in implementing the system at sites where a phone line may not be available or cannot be installed due to restrictions from site owners, the amount of time required to install the phone lines and/or a necessity for the site owner to be present, and c) If staff simply use a pin number to identify themselves when they 15 call in, this number can be easily given to other staff members thereby lowering the level of confidence in the accuracy of the time and attendance data. In other systems, proximity wands which are fitted with radio frequency identity (RFID) readers are carried by the staff members. In such systems, a single RFID tag is placed at the site (or in multiple locations around the site), and 20 then the wand is placed in close proximity to the RFID tag so that the tag location ID is read and recorded In the wand. This allows the wand to track the time that each RFID tag was read. When the user returns to base or some other central location, the wands are connected to a computer and data including the tag location ID -and the time at which the ID was obtained are downloaded and 25 interpreted as a log of the activity. This system has a number of drawbacks, the most crucial of which is the fact that because the Information is collected but not available immediately, ie the system requires the staff member to return the wand to the central location so that the data can be downloaded, the movements of personnel can not be tracked real time. Accordingly, the ability to perform welfare 30 checks with such system would not be possible. In addition, In order to function properly, the system requires the installation of a computer at the site with suitable software to read the wands and download the data. Again, such 3 requirements are a significant Investment for smaller sites and may be a barrier to implementation. Lastly, some approaches utilise barcodes located at a particular place at the site. In such systems, the staff member calls or sends an SMS with the 6 barcode number to a service which records their attendance. The problem with this type of approach is that the barcode number can easily be recorded and sent to the service from any location - with the result being that It is Impossible to positively verify that the staff member is actually at the site. It is an object of the current Invention to provide a method and system for 10 verifying the location of an individual at a site at a particular time in a verifiable manner. SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION Broadly, the current invention is a method and system enabling personnel located at a site to indicate in real time that they are at a particular location at a 15 particular time using a mobile device such as a mobile cellular telephone. The location of the Individual is then able to be verified and logged. Accordingly, in a first aspect, the current invention provides a method for verifying the location of an individual at a sits at a particular time, the method Including the steps of: 20 a) an individual In proximity to a security token located at the site sending data using a mobile device, said data including a security code generated by the security token; and b) a server receiving the data and accessing information stored in a database, said Information relating to the location of the security token at the site; 25 wherein the location of the individual at the site at a particular time is verified using the security code in combination with the location information stored in the database. In a second aspect, the current Invention provides a system for verifying the location of an individual at a site at a particular time, the system including: 30 at least one security token located at the site; a sever for receiving data from a mobile device of an individual in proximity to the security token, said data including a security code generated by the security token; and 4 a database for storing information relating to the location of the security token at the site; wherein the server uses the security code in combination with the information stored in the database to verify the location of the individual at the site 5 at a particular time. Advantageously, the currant invention provides the ability to verify site attendance in an efficient manner without expensive infrastructure. As the security token generates security code In a known manner, eg time-based and/or based on an algorithm, the server is able to determine the security token and the 10 time at which the security code was generated from the security code itself. The attendance of an individual at a site location Is determined in a verifiable manner as the security code periodically changes thereby requiring the individuals to actually be in proximity to the security token in order to obtain the currently generated security code and send it to the server. 15 Furthermore, as the information about the locations of Individuals at a site is maintained in real time, the current invention advantageously provides the ability to perform periodic welfare checks of personnel attending a site. By increasing the number of security tokens used, the Invention can easily be scaled to centrally monitor a large number of indMduals across various 20 locations at any number of sites. In a third aspect, the current invention provides a security token located at a site wherein a security code generated by the security token is able to be used in combination with information stored in a database, said information relating to the location of the security token at the site, to determine the location of the 25 security token at the site. The term site is to be understood to broadly cover any and all places In which monitoring of an individual's location is desirable or required, for example, plants, buildings, university campuses, transportation systems, etc. Data will usually be sent in the form is to be understood to broadly apply to 30 various types of data streams such as messages which are capable of communicating a security code including Short Message Service (SMS) messages, Multimedia Messaging Service (MMS) messages, voice mail messages, electronic mail (email).

5 The term mobile device is to be understood to broadly cover any portable system allowing the individual to transmit data to the server, for example a mobile cellular telephone connected to the server via a telecommunications connection. The term security token refers to small hardware devices that generate 5 one-time security codes (a series of numbers and/or letters) which change constantly, eg every 30 seconds or every minute. These devices are sometime referred to as hardware tokens, authentication tokens or cryptographic tokens. The devices are synchronised with an authentication system before use by means of time-synchronisation, a complex mathematical algorithm and a secret 10 shared cryptographic key, and/or event based communication (trigged communication based on, for example, the pressing of a button on the device). The security tokens may have various characteristics such as screens to display the security code, communication means to transmit the security code, a keypad requiring the entry of a security PIN before the device can be used, a 15 biometric reader for identifying an individual. It will be appreciated that while such tokens are used for authentication of individual Into a secure computer network or system, the token in the current invention Is being used for the entirely different purpose of identify a particular location at a site. 20 BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS Preferred and alternative embodiments of the present Invention will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: Fig. I Is a conceptual diagram illustrating the overall physical and logical arrangement of a preferred implementation of the present invention; 25 Fig, 2 is a flow chart illustrating the setup process of the system; and Fig. 3 is a flow chart illustrating the general process of locating and identifying personnel at a site. DETAILED DESCRIPTION The present invention will be described with reference to particular 30 implementations. This is intended to better explain implementations of the present invention, and Is not intended to be limitative. It will be appreciated that the present invention is not limited to any particular operating systems or proprietary devices. Rather, the invention is defined at a more functional level. It should 6 further be appreciated that the present Invention can readily have further features added to it as the functionality of computer systems, and the costs thereof, change over time. All such additions and modifications fall within the scope of the present invention. 5 Furthermore, it is noted that the examples described below may need to be altered in detail or in substance, depending upon the specific capabilities and/or operating system of the particular computer system used. Fig. 1 is a composite conceptual drawing illustrating both hardware and logical aspects of the system 100. The system 100 includes one or more network 10 security tokens 2 which are each located at a selected position at the site to be monitored. Also forming part of the system 100 is a SMS gateway 6 for receiving SMS text messages from mobile phones via the Short Message Service Center (SMSC) of the SMS service providers using protocols such as SMPP, UCP/EMI, CIMD2. The SMS gateway 6 is connected via a communications network to a 15 Remote Token Service (RTS) authentication server 7 and the facilities management server 8. The SMS gateway 6, the RTS server 7 and the facilities management server 8 are typically located at a management location which may be at the site, but is usually at a remote location which is central to a number of sites which need to be monitored. 20 In an alternative embodiment, the function of the SMS gateway 6 may be provided by a system or provider outside the system 100. In this setup, the RTS server 7 and/or the facilities management server 8 interact with the external system to receive text from incoming SMS messages and convert text to form outgoing SMS messages. 25 It will also be appreciated that while the SMS gateway 6, the RTS server 7 and the facilities management server 8 are discussed In the context of seperate devices, they may form separate parts of a single device. Prior to operation, three steps are required to setup and configure the system 100, as illustrated in Fig. 2. At step 201, each token 2 is configured with 30 and set against an algorithm in the RTS server 7. In this way, security codes 3 generated by the token 2 are able to be used by the RTS server to derive the time at which the security code 3 was generated and the token 2 which generated it. The configured tokens 2 are then located at the site at step 202, and secured In 7 place by, for example, being fixed to the wall, padlocked to a fixed point, etc. At step 203, the site and preferably, the specific location of each token 2 at the site is logged in the facilities management server 8 against a unique ID of the token 2. The setup process synchronises each of the tokens 2 to the RTS server 7, 5 thereby allowing the RTS server 7 to determine the unique ID of the token 2 and accurately correlate the data from the tokens 2 against the information stared by the facilities management server 8. The unique ID of the token 2 is determined using the secure code 3 which is automatically generated by the token 2 and changes at a set frequency such as every 15 seconds. In some embodiments, the 10 token ID may form part of the generated security code 3, for example, a header of the code 3. In other embodiments, the token ID may be derived from the security code 3 using mathematical calculations. By assigning each token 2 to a site In the facilities management server 8, ie by relating the unique ID of the token to its location, the data collected by the 15 RTS server 7 Is able to be correlated, and acted on by facilities management server 8 and by authorised personnel via the web-based facilities management consol 10. As illustrated in Fig. 3, the operation of the system 100 is as follows: - At step 301, a staff member or contractor 1 arrives at the site, and once 20 at the appropriate location, reads the security code 3 from a token 2 located at the site. The security code 3 may be displayed on a screen of the token 2 or may be communicated directly to the mobile device 4 of the staff member or contractor I via, for example, a Bluetooth connection when the mobile device is within range. Furthermore, the 25 security code may only be generated and/or displayed/communicated once the staff member or contractor ' press a button, enter a PIN, provide blametric verification, etc. . At step 302, the staff member or contractor I uses their mobile device 4, eg a mobile cellular phone, to send the security code 3 in a Short 30 Message Service (SMS) text message 5 to a nominated phone number of the SMS gateway 4. It will be appreciated that In addition to, or as an alternative to SMS messages, any suitable form of data may be used, such as Multimedia 8 Message Service (MMS) messages including images of the generated secure code, emails. voice mail messages, etc. It will also be appreciated that the staff member or contractor 1 may compose the SMS message 5 when they are at a certain location, at a certain time 5 and/or in response to a SMS Message they have received. For example, in one embodiment, a security guard may receive periodic welfare check SMS messages from the system 100 and is required to respond to them by making his/her way to the nearest token 2. a Optionally, the SMS message 5 generated by the staff member or 10 contractor 1 may also Include one or more keywords such as "in", "out, or "check", and/or the purchase order or work order number related to the work they are to undertake at the site. Examples of these types of SMS messages are '987654 IN' or '548923 Work Order BH854'. - At step 303, the SMS message is received by the SMS gateway 6, 15 which then relays the SMS message at step 304 to the RTS server 7 using internet protocol data communications over a network. Of course, if an altemate embodiment of the system uses other forms of communicating the security code 3, such as email, appropriate hardware will need to be in place. Furthermore, in such a case, the 20 email address of individual would be used to identify the individual as an alternative to the mobile phone number of the current embodiment. * Once the RTS server 7 has received the SMS message 5 via the SMS gateway 6, it interprets the message at step 305. Using the unique token algorithm, time-synchronisation or some other suitable method, 25 the RTS server 7 decodes the SMS message 5 and collects the following data: o The mobile phone number of the mobile phone 4 of the staff member or contractor 1 who sent the SMS message 5 (In the case of an email, the collected data in this context would 30 typically be the email address); o The security code 3 from which the unique ID of the token 2 and the time that the security code 3 was generated is derived; and 9 o Any keyword(s) in the SMS message 5. - At step 306, the RTS server 7 transmits the above information, ie mobile phone number, token ID, time, and keyword(s) to the facilities management server 7 using internet protocol data communications 5 over a network. a At step 307, the facilities management server 8 cross-checks and interprets the received Information using information stored in a database 12 on the facilities management server 8, eg the mobile number is cross-checked with the records on staff members and 10 contractors to determine the respective staff member or contractor, the token ID is used to determine the site at which the token 2 was located at, and the keywords are interpreted against a keyword list (IN, OUT CHECK etc). Once Interpreted, the information is logged in the database 12. It will be appreciated that the database 12 may be located 15 somewhere other than the facilities management server 8 and that the database 12 may take a distributed form, eg two or more distributed data stores which are able to be accessed by the facilities management server 8. It will also appreciated that in some embodiments, the system may be 20 used to simply verify that an individual is at a particular location at the site and the identity of that Individual may not in fact be important and/or determined. In such embodiments, the need to cross-check records on staff members and contractors to determine the respective staff member or contractor would not be required and the database 12 25 may only store location information relating to the location of the tokens 2 around the site. For example, the objective of the system may be to confirm that one or more security guards are patrolling a particular area of the site, the identity of the security guards may not be important. . Preferably, once the information has been cross-checked and 30 interpreted, the faq.ities management server 8 instructs the RTS server 7 to confirm receipt of the SMS message 5 at step 308, Accordingly, the RTS server 7 transmits a confirmation message to the SMS gateway 6 which converts it to an outgoing SMS message and sends it 10 to the mobile phone 4 of the staff member or contractor 1. The outgoing SMS message confirms that the initial message has been received, eg "Thank you. Log-on received OK" or 'Thank you. Welfare check confirmed" or "Thank you. Work order activity confirmed". The facilities 5 management server 8 may also instruct other outgoing SMS message, such as a request for a staff member or contractor to complete a welfare check as discussed above. In one embodiment, the facilities management server 8 may also take specific actions as defined by the notification engine 11. These 10 actions include, but are not limited to: o Notifying confirmation of work order activity to the site ownerimanager; o Notifying a supervisor if the welfare check-in is later than required (or doesn't happen at all); 15 o Notification of "nil" events - eg if a staff member does not log off, notify the supervisor to check-in on them; These notifications may be sent as emails or via the SMS gateway 6 as SMS text messages. The data in the facilities management server 8 can be accessed by 20 authorised personnel such as supervisors, site owners and managers via the web-based consol 10. Through the console interface 10, authorised personnel are able to configure and set the specific triggers for the notification engine 11, such as scheduled log-on / log-off times, welfare check times, and actions to take as work orders are received. The consol 10 also allows authorised personnel to run 25 a range of reports on time and attendance, site activity, etc. 30

Claims (20)

1. A method for verifying the location of an individual at a site at a particular time, the method including the steps of: a) an individual in proximity to a security token located at the site 5 sending data using a mobile device, said data including a security code generated by the security token; and b) a server receiving the data and accessing information stored in a database, said information relating to the location of the security token at the site; wherein the location of the individual at the site at a particular time is 10 verified using the security code in combination with the location information stored In the database.

2. A method according to claim 1, wherein the identity of the individual is verified using identification information related to the mobile device and/or the individual. 15

3. A method according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the data includes at least one keyword, said keyword relating to the site and/or the status of the individual.

4. A method according to claim 1, 2 or 3 further including the step of c) the server generating and communicating confirmation data to the mobile device. 20

5. A method according to any one of claims I to 4 further including the step of: d) the server generating notification data to a mobile device of a site supervisor and/or owner, said notification data relating to the site and/or the status of the individual. 25

6. A method according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein step a) includes the sub-step of: 12 i) synchronising the security token with the server thereby enabling the server to determine a unique ID of the security token from the security code.

7. A method according to claim 6, wherein step a) further includes the sub 5 step of. 1i) relating the unique ID of the security token with the location information stored in the database.

8. A method according to any one of claims 1 to 7, wherein the data is one or more of a SMS message, MMS message, email, voicemail message. 10

9. A system for verifying the location of an individual at a site at a particular time, the system including: at least one security token located at the site; a sever for receiving data from a moblie device of an individual in proximity to the security token, said data including a security code generated by the 15 security token; and a database for storing information relating to the location of the security token at the site; wherein the server uses the security code in combination with the information stored in the database to verify the location of the individual at the site 20 at a particular time.

10. A system according to claim 9, wherein the server uses identification information related to the mobile device and/or the Individual to verify the identity of the Individual.

11. A system according to claim 9 or 10. wherein the data includes at least one 25 keyword, said keyword relating to the site and/or the status of the individuaI.

12. A system according to claim 9, 10 or 11, wherein the server generates confirmation data to the mobile device.

13. A system according to any one of claims 9 to 12, wherein the server generates notification data to a mobile device of a site supervisor and/or owner, said notification data relating to the site and/or the status of the individual.

14. A system according to any one of claims 9 to 13, wherein the server is 5 synchronised with the security token, thereby enabling the server to determine a unique ID of the security token from the security code.

15. A system according to any one of claims 9 to 14, wherein the database relates a unique ID of the security token with the location information stored in the database. 10

16. A system according to any one of claims 9 to 15, wherein the data is one or more of a SMS message, MMS message, email, voicemail message.

17. A security token located at a site wherein a security code generated by the security token is able to be used in combination with information stored in a database, said information relating to the location of the security token at the site, 15 to determine the location of the security token at the site.

18. A method for verifying the locality of an individual at a site substantially as herein described with reference to any one of the embodiments of the invention illustrated in the accompanying drawings.

19, A systern for verifying the locality of an individual at a site substantially as 20 herein described with reference to any one of the embodiments of the invention illustrated in the accompanying drawings. 14

20. A security token located at a site substantially as herein described with reference to any one of the embodiments of the invention illustrated in the accompanying drawings. 5 VALOREM SYSTEMS PTY LIMITED WATERMARK PATENT & TRADE MARK ATTORNEYS P30322AU00