Abstract: An access control system and method for monitoring a public access point are disclosed. The system includes a positioning unit that tracks locations of users carrying user devices relative to the public access point, where the user devices transmit user information identifying the users via wireless signals. The system determines whether the users are authorized to pass through the access point based on the wireless signals from the user devices. Public access points include security checkpoints at government buildings, airports, amusement parks, and universities, in examples. In embodiments, biometric identifiers are obtained from the users when the users are preferably located within a threshold area of the public access points, and the system confirms the identity of the authorized users via the biometric identifiers to enable the users to pass through the public access points. Additionally, the system can assist in evacuation of users based on their tracked locations.

Abstract: An access control system includes a mesh network of nodes for tracking and authenticating users throughout a building. The nodes include wireless interfaces. The user devices send user information to the nodes, which send the user information to a verification and tracking system, which returns authentication status information. As the user moves throughout the building, the nodes calculate the proximity between the particular node and the user device and compare the calculated proximity information to that of nearby nodes. The user information and authentication status information is then handed off to the node determined to be closest to the user device and, in the case of door nodes connected to door controllers, is used to grant access to restricted areas of the building. Door nodes are equipped with directional antennas with an adjustable antenna assembly including two or more probes to eliminate dead zones around the door nodes.

Abstract: A positioning unit of an access control and user tracking system includes an antenna, which is embedded in the substrate of a ceiling tile of a drop ceiling system. The antenna can be observable (embedded in the substrate of an exposed surface of the ceiling tile), or, alternately, not observable (concealed within the substrate of the ceiling tile). A pinhole camera for capturing video information is inserted through the substrate of the ceiling tile and protrudes from the exposed surface of the tile. A ground plane covers the unexposed surface of the ceiling tile. A control module, comprising a controller, a network interface, an antenna controller, a power supply, an omni directional antenna and/or memory for the positioning unit, is positioned on the unexposed surface of the tile.

Abstract: An access control and user tracking system includes ranging cameras installed in thresholds of access points for generating three dimensional models of users passing through the access points in order to detect unauthorized individuals or hand gestures of the users, which can indicate unsafe conditions or that lights and/or equipment should be turned on. The ranging cameras can be point range finding measurement sensor scanning cameras, structured light cameras, or time of flight cameras and can be installed along the top or in the corners of the thresholds.

Abstract: In an access control system, an ancillary user device is used in conjunction with a mobile computing device to broadcast user information for authentication. The mobile computing device and ancillary user device are paired, and user information is transmitted from the mobile computing device to the ancillary user device. The user information can be stored and/or hashed by the ancillary user device, and an origin flag can be set on the user information, before the user information is transmitted to the positioning unit of the access control system. An attachment mechanism attaches the ancillary user device to the user's body.

Abstract: A system and method for video recognition of users in a frictionless access control system are disclosed. The access control system includes a positioning unit that tracks locations of users carrying user devices relative to an access point of a premises, where the user devices transmit user information identifying the users via wireless signals. The system determines whether the users are authorized to pass through the access point based on the wireless signals from the user devices. One or more video cameras also capture video data of the users when the users are preferably located within a threshold area of the access point. Then, the system confirms the identity of each authorized user by comparing video identification information of the user determined from the video data, such as facial recognition information, to stored video identification information for each user. Confirmed users can then pass through the access point.

Abstract: This document describes a monitoring system for detecting conditions at a physical premises. The monitoring system can receive, by a computing system, from a video sensor system deployed at the physical premises, block-based encoded video data encoded with a block-based encoder in the video sensor system. The monitoring system can parse, by the computing system, the block-based encoded video data to extract from the block-based encoded data macroblock arrays that correspond to areas of a frame of video data. The monitoring system can reduce, by the computing system, the macroblock arrays to one or more data clusters. The monitoring system can apply, by the computing system, a pattern recognition algorithm to the one or more data clusters to detect patterns in the one or more data clusters.

Abstract: Disclosed is a networked system for detecting conditions at a physical premises. The networked system includes a local computer system configure to read a configuration file that determines processing performed by the local computer system and evaluate collected sensor data with respect to the configuration file, for first sensor data to be processed by the local computer, and execute unsupervised learning models to continually analyze the first sensor data to produce operational states and detect drift sequences that are correlated to stored determined conditions. The networked system also includes a remote computer system that execute unsupervised learning models to continually analyze the collected sensor information. An alert is asserted by at least one of the local computer and the remote computer based on the determined conditions.

Abstract: A system for a frictionless access control automatically identifies users and enables access to restricted areas of a building for example via access points such as locked doors. The system allows access when authorized users are in the vicinity of doors without requiring the users to swipe access keycards (or badges) at keycard terminals located at the doors, as in current systems. The system includes user devices such as key fobs and mobile phones that wirelessly broadcast user information and unique IDs for each of the devices in data packets, which are received by positioning units. The positioning units determine locations of the user devices, and send the packet data and the location data to a verification and tracking system. Preferably, the positioning units include two or more antennas that determine close proximity of users to access points while also allowing the system to continuously monitor the locations of the users.

Abstract: A system and method for diagnosing and/or configuring a security device included within a secure network is disclosed. A technician mobile computing device maintains a data connection between the security device and a remote computer diagnostic workstation, where the computer workstation might send configuration commands to the security device and receives diagnostic data from the security device over the data connection. The technician mobile phone maintains the data connection by establishing a wireless data link to the security device and by encoding data onto and/or decoding data from a voice connection to a peer mobile computing device. A WiFi connection between the peer mobile computing device and the computer workstation then completes the data connection between the security device and the computer diagnostic workstation.

Abstract: Directional antenna capabilities are leveraged to set up “invisible walls” or borders within buildings, for example. This can be used to protect any delineated area or zone in a building or other regions. The individuals carry beacon devices such as dedicated fobs or personal mobile computing devices. The access control system using directional antennas can then determine when they cross a border, such as move into (or out of) the area of interest. When that breach is detected, security policies can be followed or some other action can take place. In other examples, the approach can be used for “people counting” within a designated area or track the movements of people. Image analysis capabilities can be further added. For example, image data can be captured by surveillance cameras of the border or regions around the border or area within the building.

Abstract: A security system comprises a positioning unit that determines locations of user devices relative to a threshold of the access point, a surveillance camera that monitors the threshold, and an access control system that controls the access point based on the locations of the user devices and orientations of individuals carrying the user devices relative to the access point. The surveillance camera is used to prevent tailgating. The cameras image data is also analyzed to determine the orientation of the individuals relative to the access point, such as a door. If the individuals are oriented such that they may be merely walking past the door, then access is not granted.

Abstract: A system for a frictionless access control automatically identifies users and enables access to restricted areas of a building for example via access points such as locked doors. The system allows access when authorized users are in the vicinity of doors without requiring the users to swipe access keycards (or badges) at keycard terminals located at the doors, as in current systems. The system includes user devices such as key fobs and mobile phones that wirelessly broadcast user information and unique IDs for each of the devices in data packets, which are received by positioning units. The positioning units determine locations of the user devices, and send the packet data and the location data to a verification and tracking system. Preferably, the positioning units include two or more antennas that determine close proximity of users to access points while also allowing the system to continuously monitor the locations of the users.

Abstract: A video recorder cluster for use in a video surveillance system includes multiple recorder nodes that can each participate in processing of user-specified operations such as playback, recording, and analysis of the video streams. The video recorder cluster determines the required resources for processing the video data of streams, determines the available resources on each of the recorder nodes, and forwards the video data of the streams to recorder nodes that either include the required resources or include a preferred set of available resources in accordance with the required resources. The video recorder cluster presents a single cluster address for client user devices to access the resources of the video recorder cluster, thereby enabling the video recorder cluster to appear as a single virtual network video recorder to clients.

Abstract: A system and method for controlling video and/or audio streams between a client and server over a communications channel is disclosed that utilizes an application layer streaming communications protocol that includes features of current pull and push style application layer streaming protocols. Using the streaming protocol, client applications on user devices such as web browsers send request messages for streams, where the request messages specify a variable number of data packets of the streams for the server to send. Each of the data packets include one or more frames, or frame data, of the streams. The streaming server then “pushes” the requested number of data packets of the streams, and the client application can adjust the number of data packets for the server to send in subsequent stream request messages to optimize the bandwidth of the communications channel.

Abstract: A system and method for real time streaming and decoding of multiple simultaneous streams within a web browser is disclosed. In a preferred embodiment, a stream manager of the web browser stores decoder context data for each of the streams. The stream manager then provides the frames in conjunction with the decoder context data for consumption by a decoder of the web browser, which decodes the frames, presents the frames for display, and updates the decoder context data with the frame data of the decoded frames. In another embodiment, the stream manager is integrated within the decoder.

Abstract: A system and method for a portable device analyzing user information broadcast from target user devices is disclosed. The portable device includes a commodity user device (e.g. iPhone, smart phone) and a directional antenna system fastened to the commodity user device for receiving the user information broadcast from the target user devices. An application program executing on the portable device can then be used to disable a user account on an access control system, for example.

Abstract: An access control system and method for monitoring a public access point are disclosed. The system includes a positioning unit that tracks locations of users carrying user devices relative to the public access point, where the user devices transmit user information identifying the users via wireless signals. The system determines whether the users are authorized to pass through the access point based on the wireless signals from the user devices. Public access points include security checkpoints at government buildings, airports, amusement parks, and universities, in examples. In embodiments, biometric identifiers are obtained from the users when the users are preferably located within a threshold area of the public access points, and the system confirms the identity of the authorized users via the biometric identifiers to enable the users to pass through the public access points. Additionally, the system can assist in evacuation of users based on their tracked locations.

Abstract: A system and method for determining tailgating of users in a frictionless access control system are disclosed. The access control system includes a positioning unit that tracks locations of users carrying user devices relative to an access point of a premises, where the user devices transmit user information identifying the users via wireless signals. The access control system then determines whether the users are authorized to pass through the access point based on the wireless signals from the user devices and determines whether non-authorized users are tailgating through the access point with authorized users. In embodiments, the system can also determine tailgating of the users in response to analyzing video data of a scene including the users, where the video data is generated by a video camera positioned to capture the users when the users are within the threshold area.

Abstract: An access control system and method for monitoring an access point are disclosed. Preferably, a positioning unit of the system includes a primary antenna and a directional antenna that determine close proximity of users to the access point while also allowing the system to continuously monitor the locations of the users. The primary antenna preferentially receives wireless signals sent from user devices (e.g. mobile phones, fobs) of the users while the directional antenna receives the wireless signals within a threshold area of the access point. The system authorizes users to enter each access point by matching user information of the users extracted from the wireless signals to locally stored user information for the users, and determining that the matched user information is referenced within locally stored authorization information indicating which users can access the access point. The system can pre-authorize the users as they approach the threshold area.