Field of the Invention

The present invention is in the area of multimedia computer technology and in particular the application of digital video, audio and network technologies to remotely controlled security and surveillance systems.

Background of the Invention

Historically, controlling or monitoring access to and egress from a facility was accomplished by posting sentries, guards, receptionists, by whatever title, persons charged with controlling a portal or perimeter. It has always been known to be boring work for which few people are naturally suited. On occasion it has also proven to be hazardous work.

Prior art technology in this field runs the gamut from signal fires and horns to remote solenoid operated door locks, closed circuit video systems, magnetic and optical badge readers and even anatomical feature recognition technology. These technologies have contributed a great deal to reducing manpower requirements and enhancing physical security of sentries. Technology has extended the reach and power of sentry personnel, but it is still a boring and usually low-paid task.

Existing remote security and surveillance technology tends to be quite expensive and its operation usually requires special training and dedicated staffing. Most systems require dedicated runs of video, audio and electrical cables. Revising such a system to add surveillance points or change the monitoring and control capabilities is usually expensive, time consuming and disruptive to operation.

What is needed is a surveillance system that does not require constant attention or special training to

operate and that can be operated by any authorized person inside the facility or at a remote facility. The system needs to be flexible, easily reconfigured and designed to operate over coaxial or twisted-pair information network wiring, or voice-grade telephone lines.

Summary of the Invention

In an embodiment an access control apparatus is provided for deployment at an access portal of a secured premise, comprising an enclosure for supporting and housing other elements, a microprocessor-based CPU means for managing operations of the apparatus, an electronic memory means for storing control routines and data, and a bus communication means connected to the CPU means and the electronic memory means for providing digital communication between elements of the apparatus. There is also detection means connected to the bus means for detecting a person at the access portal, actuation means connected to the bus means for actuating the portal for admission, and serial digital communication means for communicating with a remote manned workstation.

In another embodiment there is also an announcement means for conveying a message entered at the remote workstation to a person at the aces portal. The announcement means can be a loudspeaker coupled to a sound digital to analog conversion device. The serial digital communication means may be either a local area network or a modem connected phone line. The detection means of the invention may comprise one or more of a CCD video camera, a motion detector, a doorbell switch, a microphone, and a pressure pad. The CCD video camera is coupled to a frame digitizer, which may also include a data compression means to facilitate transfer of relatively large packets of graphics data.

ln another aspect, the invention comprises a security control system with a computer workstation, an access control unit, and a digital communication means. The access control unit includes an enclosure, a CPU, an internal bus, an electronic memory, detection means, actuation means, and an interface for connection to the digital communication means. In this aspect, there may be several workstations, and also several access portals to secured premises, each with an access control unit. There can also be a file server computer for data a program management.

The present invention provides for the first time a fully digitized modular approach to security systems, allowing a user to mount control units at access portals, and to control them over simple communication links, such as phone lines, from remote workstations. There is no need for complicated and expensive connections between units, and deployment is quickly and easily accomplished.

Brief Description of the Drawings

Figure 1 is a largely schematic diagram of a microcomputer-controlled remote surveillance system according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention.

Figure 2 is a functional block diagram showing how the system of the invention is used as a visitor reception system.

Description of the Preferred Embodiments

General Description

Referring to Fig. 1, a Video Receptionist 47 according to the present invention is useful as an

automatic/remote audio-video surveillance and remote portal control system. Video receptionist 47 is located at a selected surveillance point in an embodiment of the invention, and comprises a motion detection device 13 and a switch 15 to detect a visitor. The motion detection device and switch are interfaced through an input port 23. There is a video camera 11 and a frame digitizer 21 to "see" the visitor, a microphone 17 and an A/D convertor 25 to "hear" the visitor, a D/A convertor 27 and a speaker 18 to respond to the visitor, an output port 45 and a door opener 19 to admit the visitor. There are also included a status display 43 connected to output port 45, a network adapter 39 for local control of the Video Receptionist, a high-speed data modem 37, such as one conforming to CCITT specification V.32bis, for remote operation over telephone lines, and a CPU 31 with DRAM 33 and ROM 35. There is an internal system bus 29 connecting CPU 31 and the peripheral devices. A direct current (DC) power supply 41 provides low-voltage electric energy for the electronic circuits of the Video Receptionist.

Fig. 2 is a functional block diagram for Video receptionist 47 networked to computer file servers such as 49 and workstations 51 and 53, demonstrating remote electronic detection of visitor arrivals and departures and one-way video-phone communication and remote control of facility access portals. A Video Receptionist, which can be configured to greet visitors with a stored voice message, alerts operators at designated networked computer workstations that a visitor has arrived and allows the operator of a computer workstation, equipped according to the invention, to view and converse with visitors and remotely control doors or gates to allow entry for visitors.

In Fig. 2 the network comprises but is not limited to, file server 49, workstations 51 and 53 and a Video

-o-

Receptionist 47, connected by network cable 57. Fig. 2 also shows the communication paths between "inside" person 55 at computer workstation 53 that is equipped with Video Receptionist application control routines, digital audio recording and reproduction convertors, and acoustic transducers to greet and interrogate Visitor 59.

Sound picked up by Video Receptionist microphone 17 and digitized by A/D convertor 25 is multiplexed with digitized video images captured by video camera 11 and frame digitizer 21 and transmitted in network data packets by CPU 31 via network adapter 39 and network cabling 57 to workstation 53. For remote operation the data is transmitted via phone modem 37 instead of network adapter 39. Upon receipt at workstation 53 the audio and video data is extracted from network packets and assembled into separate data streams by techniques known in the art. The digital audio data is directed to a D/A convertor and audio transducer device such as loudspeakers or headphones (not shown). A microphone (not shown) is connected to an A/D converter device in the workstation, which digitizes the operator's speech. The digitized sound is packeted and transmitted over network 57 to Video Receptionist network adapter 39 and then to CPU 31, which plays it through A/D convertor 27 and speaker 18.

To admit a visitor 59, the workstation operator 55 issues a program command, via workstation keyboard or pointer device, that causes a digital command message to be transmitted over network 57 to Video Receptionist CPU 31 instructing it to energize door opener device 19.

Video Box

In the preferred embodiment Video Receptionist 47 is a digital network node subsystem, and comprises, as shown in Fig. 1 and listed above, a miniature CCD video camera

11, motion detector 13, microphone 17, speaker 18, door opener solenoid driver 19, status display 43 and the microcomputer system. The microcomputer system is composed of CPU 31, DRAM 33, ROM 35, video capture frame buffer 21, input port 23, audio digitizer 25, audio synthesizer 27, system bus 29, optional phone modem 37, network adapter 39, output port 45 and power supply 41. Input port 23 provides an interface for a motion detector and/or a doorbell switch. In alternative embodiments these inputs might be provided by a variety of devices such as pressure pads, photo-electric "eyes", turnstiles, door switches or detection equipment utilizing thermal, sonic, microwave, magnetic, capacitive or artificial vision technologies.

Video Receptionist CPU 31 under management of control routines, which are typically loaded into DRAM 33 during a unit power-up sequence, monitors and controls the peripheral subsystems of Video Receptionist 47 using address, data and control signals on system bus 29.

CPU 31 "senses" the arrival of a visitor 59 through state changes at input port 23 triggered by motion detector 13 or door bell switch 15. CPU 31 responds to arrival of a visitor by transmitting an "alert" message and a frame of digitized video, captured by video camera 11 and video frame digitizer 21, via system bus 29, network adapter 39 and network 57 to file server 49 and workstation 53. Optionally, other workstations such as workstation 51 may also receive the Video Receptionist's transmission. An optional data compression device in video frame digitizer 21 can reduce the quantity of data transmitted, facilitating operation over lower-bandwidth or high-traffic networks.

Network driver software for network adapter 39 allows communication over a LAN 57 with routines for a variety of network protocols such as IPX and NetBIOS.

Phone modem software allows remote connection over a V.32bis or faster data modem 37. CPU 31 controls the state of output port 45 via svstem bus 29 to control status display 43 and electronic door opener control device 19.

Microphone 17 converts sounds into analog electrical signals sent to audio digitizer 25. which samples the signal at an ultrasonic frequency (typically 44.1 kilohertz) and converts the sampled amplitude to a digital value. CPU 31 transmits these digital audio values to a remote workstation such as 53 when the workstation requests it.

CPU 31 sends digital audio streams received from a workstation such as 53 to sound synthesizer 27, which contains a D/A conversion device (not shown). The amplified analog output drives a loudspeaker 18, which is audible to visitor 59.

Network

In the preferred embodiment network 57 is a 10 megabit/second Ethernet protocol and wiring connecting the Video Receptionist 47, file server 49, and workstation computers 51 and 53. Alternative embodiments might use other network technologies and topologies such as Token Ring, ARCNET, FDDI , RS-485 or other.

Video Receptionist units 47 physically connect to a LAN in the same manner as other computer equipment. The Video Receptionist operates as a non-routing node and mav be compatible with many current art network protocols such as Novell's IPX and Microsoft's NetBIOS.

A high-speed data modem 37. in the preferred embodiment a V.32bis and V.42bis compatible modem, such as a Twincom 14.4DF, and modem data-link protocol, allows telephone line connection of Video Receptionist 47 to

workstations at remote sites equipped with similar modems.

Workstation

In the preferred embodiment workstations, such as 51 and 53, are personal computers based on a microprocessor CPU compatible with the Intel 80386 microprocessor instruction set and running an Operating System capable of what is known in the art as multitasking, such as Microsoft's MS-Windows, International Business Machines' (IBM) OS/2 or American Telephone and Telegraph's (AT&T) UNIX. Workstation peripheral devices include a video graphics display capability, audio subsystems capable of playing digitized audio and digitizing audio frequency input signals, and network interface adapter(s) or data modem(s). Loudspeakers, or headphones, and a microphone serve as audio output and input transducers for the workstation digitized audio subsystem. The workstation network software supports what is known in the art as task-to-task communication.

Workstation application control routines for Video Receptionist use these subsystems to establish data communication links to Video Receptionist units, receive visitor arrival alerts from such units, display digitized video frames received from such units, play digitized audio received from such a unit, send digitized audio such as from a microphone to such a unit, and control such units.

A person 55 at a computer workstation 53 that receives an arrival alert from Video Receptionist 47 via network 57 acknowledges the alert using the workstation keyboard or pointing device, such as a mouse, (not shown) to invoke the appropriate function. Video images transmitted in digitized form by Video Receptionist 47 are reconverted to video by the workstation video graphics

subsystem (not shown) and displayed for the computer operator on the workstation video screen. Such display may be either full-screen or confined to a window on the screen as determined by operator-controlled software functions. A single workstation can monitor multiple Video Receptionists 47. For surveillance purposes, video from multiple Video Receptionists can be displayed simultaneously on the video screen (not shown) of a workstation 53 with automatic highlighting or enlargement of a video window when its associated Video Receptionist detects presence of a visitor.

Other operator-controlled functions allow operator 55 to control additional functions such as routing audio transmitted in digitized form from Video Receptionist 47 to the workstation audio subsystem (not shown) which converts it to amplified analog signals driving a loudspeaker or headphones, allowing person 55 to hear visitor 59. Person 55 may also use software controls to speak to visitor 59 via a microphone, workstation 53 audio digitizer, workstation 53 CPU, workstation 53 network adapter, network 57. Video Receptionist 47 network adapter 39, system bus 29, Video Receptionist CPU 31, sound synthesizer 27 and loudspeaker 18. Another operator- controlled function causes workstation 53 CPU to transmit commands via workstation 53 network adapter over network 57 to Video Receptionist 47 CPU 31, via network adapter 39 and system bus 29, instructing CPU 31 to change the state of output port 45 such that it will cause door opener 19 to be energized and unlock an entry door.

File Server

Many computer networks include one or more file server computers, which typically function as remote data storage controllers transmitting executable code and data

to other network systems upon demand and storing data received from them. File servers also function as master controllers of network facilities in some network systems. In some networks a computer designated as a file server may also function as a workstation.

In the preferred embodiment a file server 49 connected to network 57 monitors network transmissions of Video Receptionists 47. File server 49 provides mass storage of all program and data files required for the operation of Video Receptionist CPU 31. An audit trail of Video Receptionist usage can also be stored by file server 49.

Application of electrical power to Video Receptionist 47 by power supply 41 initiates self-test routines stored in ROM 35. Upon successful completion of self-test a network packet is broadcast by network adapter 39 addressed to all network nodes, which contains a request for what is known in the art as a bootstrap load of system software. File server 49 has system control routines (not shown) for Video Receptionist 47 stored on its mass storage device (not shown). When a network bootstrap request from Video Receptionist 47 is decoded, file server 49 retrieves these system routines and transmits it enveloped in network packets to Video Receptionist network adapter 39, which strips off some of the network packet information and sends the system routines over system bus 29 to be stored in DRAM 33. When loading of Video Receptionist system routines is complete CPU 31 begins executing them making Video Receptionist 47 operational.

Detection of a visitor's arrival 59 causes an alert to be transmitted by Video Receptionist, as detailed under Video Box and Workstation sections. File server 49 decodes the alert message and stores a date-and-time stamped entry in an audit trail log file on its mass

storage device. File server 49 can also capture a video image frame from Video Receptionist 47 and store it in the audit trail file(s). An audit trail entry can also be made by file server 49 when Video Receptionist 47 detects a departure from the surveillance area.

Optional voice recognition devices, incorporated in Video Receptionist audio digitizer 25, and voice recognition routines (not shown) for Video Receptionist 47 allow visitors such as 59 to leave voice messages for unavailable personnel. Video Receptionist CPU 31 transmits the digitized voice of visitor 59 via system bus 29, network adapter 39 and network 57 to file server 49. File server 49 stores the digitized voice message of visitor 59 in what is known in the art as a voice mail mailbox, assigned to the intended recipient, on its mass storage device(s). The recipient can retrieve the recorded message from file server 49 using a workstation such as 53 or in some systems from a telephone.

It will be apparent to one with skill in the art that there are many changes that might be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention. Some of these alternatives have already been described, such as arrival detection inputs might be provided by a variety of devices such as pressure pads, photo-electric "eyes", turnstiles, door switches or detection equipment utilizing thermal, sonic, microwave, magnetic, capacitive or artificial vision technologies. Other examples are the use of different video cameras, different LANs, different computer workstation technologies, and different Video Receptionist microcomputer technologies.