WO2021219922A1

WO2021219922A1 - Control of access

Info

Publication number: WO2021219922A1
Application number: PCT/FI2020/050285
Authority: WO
Inventors: Antti Perko
Original assignee: Kone Corporation
Priority date: 2020-04-30
Filing date: 2020-04-30
Publication date: 2021-11-04

Abstract

The invention relates to a method for controlling an access in a building (100) by an access control system (110), the method comprises: receiving (210) information relating to a user; determining (220) based on the received information if the user has visited the building (100); determining (230), in response to a detection that the user has visited the building (100), a route the user traveled; determining (240), in response to a receipt of route information, one or more building systems (120, 130, 140) controlled by the access control system (110) the user accessed during a travel of the route; and generating a control signal to at least one of determined building systems (120, 130, 140) for controlling access to the at least one of the determined building systems. The invention also relates to a computer program product and an access control system.

Description

CONTROL OF ACCESS

TECHNICAL FIELD

The invention concerns in general the technical field of buildings. More particularly, the invention concerns access control in buildings.

BACKGROUND

Nowadays buildings are equipped with variety of systems controllable remotely. For example, the buildings may comprise remotely controllable doors and gates, conveyor systems, air conditioning and heating systems and similar. On the other hand, the buildings may comprise systems allowing a monitoring of a people flow in the buildings even on an individual level.

There is need to develop solutions, e.g. for specific situations, such as if a virus disease is aggressively spreading among people, to control an access within the building so as to implement protective measures for people. SUMMARY

The following presents a simplified summary in order to provide basic understanding of some aspects of various invention embodiments. The summary is not an extensive overview of the invention. It is neither intended to identify key or critical elements of the invention nor to delineate the scope of the invention. The following summary merely presents some concepts of the invention in a simplified form as a prelude to a more detailed description of exemplifying embodiments of the invention.

An object of the invention is to present a method, a computer program product and an access control system for controlling access in a building. The objects of the invention are reached by a method, a computer program product and an access control system for controlling access in a building as defined by the respective independent claims. According to a first aspect, a method for controlling, by an access control system, an access in a building is provided, the method comprises: receiving information relating to a user; determining based on the information relating to the user if the user has visited the building; determining, in response to a detection that the user has visited the building, a route the user traveled in the building by inquiring the information from a monitoring system; determining, in response to a receipt of information representing the route the user traveled in the building, one or more building systems controllable by the access control system the user accessed during a travel of the route; generating a control signal to at least one of determined building systems for controlling access to the at least one of the determined building systems.

The information relating to the user may e.g. be received from a system storing health information.

The method may further comprise, in response to a receipt of the information relating to the user, a determination of an identifier of an entity carried by the user in the building. For example, the identifier of the entity is at least used for determining the route the user traveled in the building.

The at least one building system may be determined by using data representing the route user traveled in the building. For example, the at least one building systems may be identified at least in part based on the data representing the route user traveled. Alternatively or in addition, the at least one building system may be determined by detecting, based on position data, the building systems residing in a predefined distance from the route the user traveled in the building.

The control signal to the at least one building system may cause a limitation to access to the at least one building system. For example, the access to the at least one of the determined building systems may be limited with respect to at least one of: the user; other users.

The building system may be at least one of: an access system controlling one or more lockable gateways, such as doors or gates; a conveyor system. The control signal may e.g. cause a cancellation of a service call dedicated to the conveyor system.

According to a second aspect, a computer program product for controlling an access is provided which computer program product, when executed by at least one processor, cause an access control system to perform the method according to the first aspect as described above.

According to a third aspect, an access control system for controlling an access in a building is provided, the access control system is arranged to: receive information relating to a user; determine based on the information relating to the user if the user has visited the building; determine, in response to a detection that the user has visited the building, a route the user traveled in the building by inquiring the information from a monitoring system; determine, in response to a receipt of information representing the route the user traveled in the building, one or more building systems controllable by the access control system the user accessed during a travel of the route; generate a control signal to at least one of determined building systems for controlling access to the at least one of the determined building systems.

For example, the access control system may be arranged to receive information relating to the user from a system storing health information.

Moreover, the access control system may further be arranged to determine, in response to a receipt of the information relating to the user, an identifier of an entity carried by the user in the building. For example, the access control system may be arranged to use the identifier of the entity at least for determining the route the user traveled in the building.

Still further, the access control system may be arranged to determine the at least one building system by using data representing the route user traveled in the building. For example, the access control system may be arranged to identify the at least one building systems at least in part based on data representing the route user traveled. Alternatively or in addition, the access control system may be arranged to determine the at least one building system by detecting, based on position data, the building systems residing in a predefined distance from the route the user traveled in the building.

The access control system may also be arranged to generate the control signal to the at least one building system to cause a limitation to access to the at least one building system. For example, the access control system may be arranged to limit the access to the at least one of the determined building systems with respect to at least one of: the user; other users.

The access control system may be arranged to generate the control signal to the building system being at least one of: an access system controlling one or more lockable gateways, such as doors or gates; a conveyor system. For example, the access control system may be arranged to generate the control signal to cause a cancellation of a service call dedicated to the conveyor system.

The expression "a number of” refers herein to any positive integer starting from one, e.g. to one, two, or three.

The expression "a plurality of” refers herein to any positive integer starting from two, e.g. to two, three, or four.

Various exemplifying and non-limiting embodiments of the invention both as to constructions and to methods of operation, together with additional objects and advantages thereof, will be best understood from the following description of specific exemplifying and non-limiting embodiments when read in connection with the accompanying drawings.

The verbs “to comprise” and “to include” are used in this document as open limitations that neither exclude nor require the existence of unrecited features. The features recited in dependent claims are mutually freely combinable unless otherwise explicitly stated. Furthermore, it is to be understood that the use of “a” or “an”, i.e. a singular form, throughout this document does not exclude a plurality. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF FIGURES

The embodiments of the invention are illustrated by way of example, and not by way of limitation, in the figures of the accompanying drawings.

Figure 1 illustrates schematically a system according to an example embodiment.

Figure 2 illustrates schematically a method according to an example embodiment.

Figure 3 illustrates schematically an access control system according to an example embodiment. DESCRIPTION OF THE EXEMPLIFYING EMBODIMENTS

The specific examples provided in the description given below should not be construed as limiting the scope and/or the applicability of the appended claims. Lists and groups of examples provided in the description given below are not exhaustive unless otherwise explicitly stated. Figure 1 illustrates schematically a system according to an example embodiment suitable for implementing at least a part of the invention. The system may comprise a number of entities serving a building 100 wherein the entities may comprise an access control system 110 and one or more sub systems 120, 130, 140, also called as building systems, arranged to perform at least one task for enabling the building 100 to operate in a desired manner. For example, the sub-systems may be a remotely controllable door access system, a remotely controllable conveyor system operating in the building 100, and a remotely controllable air conditioning and heating system. However, the sub systems suitable to be applied in the example embodiment are not limited to those as mentioned, but other sub-systems may also be integrated to. Moreover, the access control system 110 may receive data from external systems 170, such as systems arranged to collect data relating to users. For sake of clarity it is worthwhile to mention that at least some of the entities indicated in Figure 1 to reside in the building 100, such as the access control system 110, do not necessarily physically reside there. In other words, some of the entities may locate remotely to the building 100 but provide services to the building 100. The access control system 110 of Figure 1 also comprises an entity called a monitoring system 150 which may be internal to the access control system 110 or external to that. More details on the monitoring system 150 is provided in the forthcoming description.

Next, some additional aspects of the invention are described by referring to Figure 2 illustrating schematically an example embodiment of a method for controlling an access in a building. The method may be performed by an access control system 110 and the description as follows is given from the access control system 110 point of view.

The method may be initiated in response to a receipt 210 of information relating to a user by the access control system 110. The information relating to the user may advantageously be such that it identifies the user. The information may e.g. be received, either automatically or in response to an inquiry, from an external system 170 storing pre-defined type of information, or at least identifying people, or users, who belong to a group based on predefined information. In accordance with some example embodiments the storing of information identifying the users may e.g. be based on a detection that the user is influenced by a predefined disease, or carrying the disease, such as some pandemic virus. Flence, the external system 170 may e.g. refer to a database storing health information on users, for example. As non-limiting examples of the information relating to the user may be mentioned a social security code of the user or any other commonly agreed identifier, such as user dedicated random data string, applicable for the implementation of the example embodiment.

In response to the receipt 210 of the information relating to the user, such as identification information, the access control system 110 may be arranged to determine 220 if the user has visited the building 100 the access control system 110 controls to. Naturally, the same operation may be performed with respect to a plurality of buildings 100 if the access control system 110 is arranged to control a plurality of buildings 100. The determination if the user has visited the building 100 may e.g. be performed by deriving the piece of data identifying the user from the information received in the previous step and inquiring if data structure storing information on visitors in the building stores a match to the data received in step 210. In accordance with the present example embodiment the data identifying the user may directly be in the same form both in the signal carrying the information to the access control system 110 and in the data structure. Alternatively, the access control system 110 may be arranged to perform further operations, such as further inquiries to other data structures, in order to arrange the data identifying the user to be in the same form as stored in the data structure in order to enable the determination if the user has visited the building 100. In the schematic illustration of Figure 2 it is assumed that a match is found from the data structure indicating that the user whose information is received in step 210 has visited the building 100. Naturally, if that is not the case, no further actions in accordance with Figure 2 are taken and the access control system 110 is set to a state to receive new pieces of information relating to users. For sake of clarity the data structure storing information on the visitors in the building 100 may refer to a data structure storing data entries received from one or more building system which data entries may e.g. be generated in response to a detection that a user uses a certain system in the building in one way or another, such as accesses a gate e.g. by providing a personal identification code by means of which the user may be identified.

In some example embodiments the determination if the user has visited the building may be limited with one or more time constraints. For example, in some example embodiments one time constraint may be defined so that the visit time of the user in the building shall be within a predetermined time window with respect to the receipt 210 of user related information. Alternatively or in addition, the time window may be defined with respect to an establishment of data record in the external system 170, or to any parameter in the data record. For example, in case of the data relating to the user represents a presence of a certain disease, the time window may be defined at least in part with respect to the detection date of the disease. In accordance with the example embodiment in response to the outcome of the determination 220 that the user has visited the building the access control system 110 may be arranged to determine 230 a route the user traveled in the building by inquiring the information from a monitoring system 150. The term route shall be understood in a broad manner and to indicate one or more locations within the building 100. The locations may be discrete locations or consecutive locations to each other. The term monitoring system 150 shall be understood in a broad manner and it may be an internal system to the access control system 110 or external to it. More specifically, the monitoring system 150 may refer to an indoor positioning system enabling a monitoring of users in the building. Typically, the indoor positioning may be achieved by arranging a device to the user and the position of the device may be monitored within the building 100. This kind of positioning may be based on a wireless communication between the device and a base station or a beacon device wherein one of the entities may be arranged to deliver data to a central system configured to generate position data from the received information. In some example embodiments the monitoring system 150 may refer to a video surveillance system which may be arranged to operate so that people, cf. users, may be identified from video stream generated by the video surveillance system and based on that the route the user travels in the building may be determined. Still further, the monitoring system 150 may refer to an access system in which the user carries a device, such as a magnetic card or a tag or anything similar, which is shown to a reader device e.g. in order to unlock doors or use elevator, and based on the data received from the reader devices it is possible to determine the route, and locations, the user has traveled, or visited, in the building 100. Naturally, in order to generate the route information especially based on a device carried by the user, the access control system 110 may advantageously have access to data structure connecting the identifier of the user and an identity of the device the user carries with him/her. Moreover, in principle the example embodiment may apply data received from any monitoring system 150 suitable for generating position data in an accuracy e.g. enabling performing the following steps of the method as is described in the forthcoming description. In response to the determination 230 of the route the user traveled in the building 100 the access control system 110 may comprise a number of positions represented with applicable data structure, such as with coordinates within a coordinate system established for the building 100, wherein the positions together represent the route, or locations, the user traveled in the building. Next, the access control system 110 may be arranged to determine 240 one or more building systems 120, 130, 140 the user accessed during a travel of the route. The determination 240 may be performed on a basis of data received from previous steps in the method, such as if the access control system 110 directly receives data from the monitoring system 150 which indicates directly one or more of the building systems 120, 130, 140 accessed by the user. Alternatively or in addition, the determination of the building systems 120, 130, 140 may be based on position information representing the locations the user visited in the building. In this kind of example embodiment the building systems 120, 130, 140 may be defined with their positions and the position information representing the route may be compared with the position information of the building systems 120, 130, 140 and if a match is found, e.g. by also applying a predefined margin if applicable, it may be concluded that the user has accessed the building system 120, 130, 140 in question. In other words, it may e.g. be arranged so that the building systems 120, 130, 140 are determined in step 240 so that those systems area detected which reside in a predefined distance from the route the user traveled in the building. The term access the building system 120, 130, 140 may refer to that the user has used the building system in question, such as a conveyor system like an elevator or an escalator, or the user has walked through a building system e.g. requiring interaction by the user, such as opening a door or a gate by touching a user interface, like a card or a tag reader or any similar.

In view of the method as schematically illustrated in Figure 2 the access control system 110 may have determined one or more building systems 120, 130, 140 accessed by the user in question. In response to such a detection the access control system 110 may be arranged to generate a control signal to at least one of the determined building systems 120, 130, 140 for controlling access to the at least one of the determined building systems 120, 130, 140. More specifically, the control signal may be generated so that it causes a limitation to use one or more of the determined building system 120, 130, 140. For example, determined doors and gates may be locked, or use of a determined conveyor system may be prevented e.g. by preventing an allocation of service calls to the conveyor system in question. The operation with respect to the conveyor system may e.g. be achieved so that the access control system 110 generates the control signal to an elevator controller, such as a group controller, which instructs the conveyor system internally. For example, the control signal may cause a cancellation of service calls dedicated to the determined conveyor system by the elevator controller or the cancellation of the service calls may be performed based on the position information of the user, e.g. so that the access control system 110 instructs the conveyor system to allocate elevator calls to a floor in which the user in question has visited. Moreover, depending on the building systems 120, 130, 140 it may be also arranged that a detection of accessing of one building system 120, 130, 140 causes a generation of a control signal also to some other building system 120, 130, 140. As a non-limiting example it may be mentioned that if it is detected that a user has accessed a certain building system, such as a door, an air ventilation in the corresponding area, or space, may be increased by providing an applicable control signal to air conditioning system. According to some example embodiments the control of access to the building systems, such as the determined building systems, may be performed on a user basis. For example, the control signal may be generated so that it defines the users whose access is limited with respect to the determined building systems. In some situations it may be advantageous to limit the access of the user who was identified to trigger the method or in some other situation the limitation to access may be directed to other users than the identified user. Naturally, the access limitation may be applied to all users in the building. The access limitation may e.g. be arranged by the access control system 110 so that it cancels at least some of the access rights from an entity, i.e. a device, carried by the respective user, which entity is necessary for accessing the building system in question. The entity, or device, may e.g. refer to a magnetic card, a tag, a mobile terminal arranged to interact with the building system e.g. with a short-range communication, or any similar entity or a code used by the user with the building system in question.

As may be derived from the description above relating to an example embodiment the solution allows to control availability of one or more building systems in accordance to an information relating to a user who has visited the building. The solution is especially advantageous in situations in which a user has got ill and is experiencing health problems due to a disease, such as a pandemic disease, where the user may spread the disease in places he/she has visited to. The present solution enables limiting the spread of the disease by preventing use of the same building systems the user has accessed to.

Some further aspects of the example embodiment may relate to a generation of further control signals to communication devices, such as displays and status indicators of the building systems, for indicating the status of the building systems 120, 130, 140 to other users visiting the building. For example, in response to the operation described by referring to Figure 2 the outcome of the method may be informed to the communication devices, such as shown on displays residing in the building 100.

For sake of clarity it is worthwhile to mention that in the description herein the term system, such as access control system or monitoring system 150 or any similar, may refer to one or more devices configured to perform at least part of an operation as described, or the term may refer to data storage, such as data structure in a database, maintaining data for the purpose of the example embodiments. Naturally, the term system may refer to any combination of these arranged through communication perform at least part of the method as described.

For example, the access control system 110 may refer to a server device as schematically illustrated in Figure 3. The server device arranged to implement at least some operations of the access control system 110 may be arranged to perform a control of an access in the building 100 in a manner as described. Figure 3 illustrates schematically as a block diagram a non-limiting example of the device applicable to perform the method. The block diagram of Figure 3 depicts some components of a device that may be employed to implement an operation of the access control system 110. The apparatus comprises a processor 310 and a memory 320. The memory 320 may store data and computer program code 325. The apparatus may further comprise communication means 330 for wired and/or wireless communication with other entities, such as other systems and/or devices forming the entities as described, as well as databases and similar. Furthermore, I/O (input/output) components 340 may be arranged, together with the processor 310 and a portion of the computer program code 325, to provide a user interface for receiving input from a user and/or providing output to the user of the system when necessary. In particular, the user I/O components may include user input means, such as one or more keys or buttons, a keyboard, a touchscreen or a touchpad, etc. The user I/O components may include output means, such as a display or a touchscreen. The components of the apparatus may be communicatively coupled to each other via a bus 350 that enables transfer of data and control information between the components.

The memory 320 and a portion of the computer program code 325 stored therein may be further arranged, with the processor 310, to cause the apparatus, i.e. the device to perform a method as described in the foregoing description. The processor 310 may be configured to read from and write to the memory 320. Although the processor 310 is depicted as a respective single component, it may be implemented as respective one or more separate processing components. Similarly, although the memory 320 is depicted as a respective single component, it may be implemented as respective one or more separate components, some or all of which may be integrated/removable and/or may provide permanent / semi-permanent / dynamic / cached storage.

The computer program code 325 may comprise computer-executable instructions that implement functions that correspond to steps of the method when loaded into the processor 310. As an example, the computer program code 325 may include a computer program consisting of one or more sequences of one or more instructions. The processor 310 is able to load and execute the computer program by reading the one or more sequences of one or more instructions included therein from the memory 320. The one or more sequences of one or more instructions may be configured to, when executed by the processor 310, cause the apparatus to perform the method be described. Hence, the apparatus may comprise at least one processor 310 and at least one memory 320 including the computer program code 325 for one or more programs, the at least one memory 320 and the computer program code 325 configured to, with the at least one processor 310, cause the apparatus to perform the method as described.

The computer program code 325 may be provided e.g. a computer program product comprising at least one computer-readable non-transitory medium having the computer program code 325 stored thereon, which computer program code 325, when executed by the processor 310 causes the apparatus to perform the method. The computer-readable non-transitory medium may comprise a memory device or a record medium such as a CD-ROM, a DVD, a Blu-ray disc or another article of manufacture that tangibly embodies the computer program. As another example, the computer program may be provided as a signal configured to reliably transfer the computer program.

Still further, the computer program code 325 may comprise a proprietary application, such as computer program code for executing the control of the access in the manner as described.

Any of the programmed functions mentioned may also be performed in firmware or hardware adapted to or programmed to perform the necessary tasks.

Moreover, as mentioned a functionality of the device implementing the access control system may be shared between a plurality of devices as a distributed computing environment. For example, the distributed computing environment may comprise a plurality of devices as schematically illustrated in Figure 3 arranged to implement the method in cooperation with each other in a predetermined manner. For example, each device may be arranged to perform one or more method steps and in response to a finalization of its dedicated step it may hand a continuation of the process to the next device.

The aspects of the invention are mainly described in a building environment, but the term building in the context of the present invention shall be understood to cover any other spaces suitable for implementing the invention in the described manner.

The specific examples provided in the description given above should not be construed as limiting the applicability and/or the interpretation of the appended claims. Lists and groups of examples provided in the description given above are not exhaustive unless otherwise explicitly stated.

Claims

WHAT IS CLAIMED IS:

1 . A method for controlling, by an access control system (110), an access in a building (100), the method comprises: receiving (210) information relating to a user, determining (220) based on the information relating to the user if the user has visited the building (100), determining (230), in response to a detection that the user has visited the building (100), a route the user traveled in the building (100) by inquiring the information from a monitoring system (150), determining (240), in response to a receipt of information representing the route the user traveled in the building (100), one or more building systems (120, 130, 140) controllable by the access control system (110) the user accessed during a travel of the route, generating a control signal to at least one of determined building systems (120, 130, 140) for controlling access to the at least one of the determined building systems.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the information relating to the user is received from a system storing health information.

3. The method of any one of the preceding claims, the method further comprising, in response to a receipt of the information relating to the user, a determination of an identifier of an entity carried by the user in the building (100).

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the identifier of the entity is at least used for determining the route the user traveled in the building (100).

5. The method of any one of the preceding claims, wherein the at least one building system (120, 130, 140) is determined by using data representing the route user traveled in the building (100).

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the at least one building systems (120, 130, 140) is identified at least in part based on the data representing the route user traveled.

7. The method of claim 5, wherein the at least one building system (120, 130, 140) is determined by detecting, based on position data, the building systems (120, 130, 140) residing in a predefined distance from the route the user traveled in the building (100).

8. The method of any of the preceding claims, wherein the control signal to the at least one building system (120, 130, 140) causes a limitation to access to the at least one building system (120, 130, 140).

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the access to the at least one of the determined building systems (120, 130, 140) is limited with respect to at least one of: the user; other users.

10. The method of any of the preceding claims, wherein the building system (120, 130, 140) is at least one of: an access system controlling one or more lockable gateways, such as doors or gates; a conveyor system.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein the control signal causes a cancellation of a service call dedicated to the conveyor system.

12. A computer program product for controlling an access which, when executed by at least one processor, cause an access control system (110) to perform the method according to any of claims 1 - 11.

13. An access control system (110) for controlling an access in a building, the access control system (110) is arranged to: receive (210) information relating to a user, determine (220) based on the information relating to the user if the user has visited the building (100), determine (230), in response to a detection that the user has visited the building (100), a route the user traveled in the building by inquiring the information from a monitoring system (150), determine (240), in response to a receipt of information representing the route the user traveled in the building (100), one or more building systems (120, 130, 140) controllable by the access control system (110) the user accessed during a travel of the route, generate (250) a control signal to at least one of determined building systems (120, 130, 140) for controlling access to the at least one of the determined building systems (120, 130, 140).

14. The access control system (110) of claim 13, wherein the access control system (110) is arranged to receive information relating to the user from a system storing health information.

15. The access control system (110) of any one of the preceding claims 13 or 14, the access control system (110) further arranged to determine, in response to a receipt of the information relating to the user, an identifier of an entity carried by the user in the building (100).

16. The access control system (110) of claim 15, wherein the access control system (110) is arranged to use the identifier of the entity at least for determining the route the user traveled in the building (100).

17. The access control system (110) of any one of the preceding claims 13-

16. wherein the access control system (110) is arranged to determine the at least one building system (120, 130, 140) by using data representing the route user traveled in the building (100).

18. The access control system (110) of claim 17, wherein the access control system (110) is arranged to identify the at least one building systems (120, 130, 140) at least in part based on data representing the route user traveled.

19. The access control system (110) of claim 17, wherein the access control system (110) is arranged to determine the at least one building system (120,

130, 140) by detecting, based on position data, the building systems (120, 130, 140) residing in a predefined distance from the route the user traveled in the building (100).

20. The access control system (110) of any of the preceding claims 13-19, wherein the access control system (110) is arranged to generate the control signal to the at least one building system (120, 130, 140) to cause a limitation to access to the at least one building system (120, 130, 140).

21 . The access control system (110) of claim 20, wherein the access control system (110) is arranged to limit the access to the at least one of the determined building systems (120, 130, 140) with respect to at least one of: the user; other users.

22. The access control system (110) of any of the preceding claims 13-21 , wherein the access control system (110) is arranged to generate the control signal to the building system (120, 130, 140) being at least one of: an access system controlling one or more lockable gateways, such as doors or gates; a conveyor system.

23. The access control system (110) of claim 22, wherein the access control system (110) is arranged to generate the control signal to cause a cancellation of a service call dedicated to the conveyor system.