Abstract: The present invention relates to access control systems ore commonly referred to as security systems. In a preferred embodiment of the invention, the access control system uses a memory card and a network of access control subsystems. Among the specific characteristics of the invention are the loading of schedule data on the memory card and the devolution of specific functions such as schedule validation to the access control subsystem level. These characteristics of the system provide, among other advantages, a reduction of the amount of wiring, a reduction in the hardware and installation costs, a considerable memory saving for the hardware and an increase in the system's capacity and flexibility.

Abstract: The present invention relates to access control systems more commonly referred to as security systems. In a preferred embodiment of the invention, the access control system uses a memory card and a network of access control subsystems. Among the specific characteristics of the invention are the loading of schedule data on the memory card and the devolution of specific functions such as schedule validation to the access control subsystem level. These characteristics of the system provide, among other advantages, a reduction of the amount of wiring, a reduction in the hardware and installation costs, a considerable memory saving for the hardware and an increase in the system's capacity and flexibility.

Abstract: The present invention concerns a parallel multiprocessor-multidisk storage server which offers low delays and high throughputs when accessing and processing one-dimensional and multi-dimensional file data such as pixmap images, text, sound or graphics. The invented parallel multiprocessor-multidisk storage server may be used as a server offering its services to computer, to client stations residing on a network or to a parallel host system to which it is connected. The parallel storage server comprises (a) a server interface processor interfacing the storage system with a host computer, with a network or with a parallel computing system; (b) an array of disk nodes, each disk node being composed by one processor electrically connected to at least one disk and (c) an interconnection network for connecting the server interface processor with the array of disk nodes.