Improving the security of buildings

Abstract

 A visitor monitoring system is provided which allows the identity of visitors to be recorded as they arrive at a premises. A keyboard 6 allows data to be entered which is then displayed on a display means 2. Passes for the visitor are produced on a printing means 4. The data can be stored on the storage means 10. Passes produced are machine readable and pass reading devices 8 may be provided. The system may also operate doors 18 and car park barriers 22 by the reading of the pass.

Description

[0001] This invention relates to improving the security of buildings.

[0002] It is well known, and even expected, for people to visit a company premises and such visitors must be monitored. It is obviously undesirable for people who are do not belong to a company to be allowed free entry to the premises. Accordingly it is well known to register visitors as they arrive at a building. Various techniques are used and have been used in the past to record the details of people as they arrive at a premises.

[0003] Many premises have a receptionist near to the front entrance of a building. The receptionist can then, of course, greet people as they arrive and take their particulars. The receptionist also offers a degree of security and can determine whether the visitor should be given access to the premises.

[0004] It is well known for a pass to be given to the visitor to be displayed about their person as they move around the premises. The pass alerts employees of the company that the person is a visitor who has permission to be on the premises. The pass, in the past, has also carried the identity of the visitor, by perhaps bearing their name, etc.

[0005] It is also know to maintain a log book, or other manual record, of the names of people visiting the premises and perhaps other details ( such as who they visited, the registration number of the visitor's car, etc.)

[0006] However, there a number of disadvantages with the prior art systems. For instance, passes which carry the identity of the visitor have previously had a temporary, makeshift appearance.

[0007] One such prior art system has a pre-printed sheet which is filled in by the visitor on their arrival at the reception desk. There is a carbon (or NCR) layer, (of the well known variety) underneath the pre-printed sheet and the carbon layer produces a permanent copy of the visitors details for the company to keep. The permanent copy thus provides a log of the visitors to the site. The manually completed pre-printed sheet is then used to make the identity pass for the visitor. However, this system suffers from a number of problems. Firstly the identity pass is hand written and as such the presentation of the pass is of variable quality and may be untidy. Secondly, the usefulness of the copy of the details, taken by the carbon sheet, is not as useful as it could be. To view the details of visitors to the premises a person must thumb through the paper record to find the details of the visit for which they are looking. Each entry to the visitors log maintains its own, separate, identity and is not cross referenced to other visits in the log.

[0008] The aim of this invention is to provide a new visitor recordal system. It may at least alleviate one or more of the disadvantages discussed.

[0009] According to a first aspect of the invention there is provided a visitor monitoring system comprising input means for inputting identification material relating to visitors, storage means for storing the identification material input by the input means, and pass, badge or label printing means for printing an identification pass, badge or label for wearing by the visitor, the badge or label printing means being arranged to print at least some of the identification material held in the storage means.

[0010] Such a system has the advantage that a presentable identification label is provided for the visitor to the premises. A printed identification label may be advantageous in that it presents a better image to the visitor of the company that they are visiting.

[0011] A further advantage of a printed identification label is that the difficulties and vagaries of reading a person's handwriting are removed, printed text possibly being much easier to read than handwriting. It may even be read by electronic scanning devices.

[0012] Yet another advantage of such a system is that a permanent record to the visitors to a site is still maintained.

[0013] Preferably the storage means comprises vehicle identification recording means. Said label printing means may be adapted to print a car park pass utilising vehicle identification information held by the vehicle identification recording means.

[0014] Preferably the car park pass is adapted to indicate to an observer (e.g. a security guard) that an identified vehicle is authorised to be in the car park, preferably at a particular time. The car park pass may be adapted to operate an automatic car park barrier, or be a key to disable other security means (e.g. a surveillance camera which may record unauthorised exits from a car park).

[0015] An advantage of such printed car park passes is that it may prevent the company's car park from being fraudulently used.

[0016] The label printing means may print an identification label on more than one occasion. A new identification label may be reprinted easily should the person lose their original identification label.

[0017] The storage means may maintain a record of a visitor's details after the person has left. If a visitor makes more that one visit to the company their details may still be held by the storage means and thus a new identification label be reprinted without inputting all of identification material (the details of the visitor may not have to be re-entered into the input means every time, nor for example details of their car). Perhaps the operator could be given the option to leave all of the details the same as the previous visit, except for the date and/or time. The system may have an internal clock that enters the time and/or date automatically.

[0018] A display means may be provided which may allow a user to view information contained within the storage means. The display means may display information as it is being input to the input means. Thus, it may be possible to view relatively easily information which is contained on the visitor monitoring system.

[0019] The display means may be scrollable so that a user viewing the information contained in the storage means may view the information at their convenience.

[0020] The storage means may also comprise an appointment recording means which contains information about the visitors expected for the day. The information contained in the appointment recording means may displayed on the display means and thus a person in charge of welcoming visitors to the premises may know who to expect and also when to expect them.

[0021] Users may be able to input expected appointments from one or more remote stations (e.g. from their own office). The system may have several users capable of entering expected appointments from their own appointment entry terminals.

[0022] An amendment means may be provided which allows the information contained in the storage means or the appointment recording means to be amended. An advantage of such amendments are that if the information contained in the storage means is in error it may be corrected. For instance if a visitors name were spelt incorrectly it would need changing so that the name appearing on their identification label was correct.

[0023] The display means may display information relating to expected arrival time (as held in the appointment recording means) or actual arrival time (as held in the storage means). The actual arrival time may supplant the expected arrival time when entered, or both may still be retrievable.

[0024] Information held within the storage means (or the appointment recording means) may be sorted before viewing on the display means according to various criteria. For example the information held in the storage means or the appointment recording means may be sorted according to surname, or forename, possibly allowing the person visiting to be found easily, by company they are from, the person they are visiting or the date they are expected. Of course it will be realised by a person skilled in the art that other criteria may be used to sort the information should they provide a useful ordering of the information.

[0025] It may be possible to view only a single record rather than listing all of the information held. An advantage of viewing only a single record is that the person viewing the data is not confronted with an overwhelming amount of information.

[0026] It may be possible to list the information. An advantage of listing the information is that it may be easier to locate a specific entry which is being sought.

[0027] Preferably the input means allows the departure time of the visitor to be recorded. This may increase the security of the premises, as it ensures that all visitors have left the premises. For instance if there is no departure time recorded against a visitor it may be assumed that the person did not leave the premises.

[0028] The display means may allow the departure time to be displayed. Such displaying may ensure the person in charge of the system can easily determine whether a visitor has left.

[0029] The storage means may also comprise hosts' details recording means, which may contain information about the person the visitor has an appointment with. Such information may include the host's forename, surname, job description, department and extension number. Of course it will be realised that the hosts' details recording means may record other information about the host as desired. An advantage of holding this information about the host is that a person operating the system will be able to check the details with the visitor, perhaps asking the visitor for the details, checking the answers are correct and therefore perhaps ascertaining whether the visitor is legitimate.

[0030] The system may have the facility to alert the host that the visitor has arrived, providing a more efficient way of alerting the host. The system may contact the host using an extension number maintained within the storage means. The host may be telephoned or e-mailed automatically, e.g. when the visitor pass is printed (or when the details are confirmed as correct). The host may be automatically informed by the system of the identity of their visitor.

[0031] It is known for a single reception area to cover several companies (a multi company reception), perhaps the companies being situated within a single premises. In such a situation the storage means may comprise a separate hosts' details recording means for each company. Or, alternatively the hosts' detail recording means may contain information for each host relating to the company for which the host works. Either system has the advantage that the system will work for a multi company reception.

[0032] The appointment recording means may allow entries to be deleted for unfulfilled appointments and an advantage of this is that the information held on the system contains no irrelevant information which may confuse the system operator.

[0033] Preferably the system can be used to produce reports relating to the visitors to the premises. The reports may contain any of the information contained on the system and this information may be sorted by any of the criteria mentioned hereinbefore ( for example surname, forename, company of visitor, host, type of visitor, car registration, or date range). Preferably the report may be displayed on the display means or printed by the label printing means.

[0034] An advantage of being able to produce such reports is that information relating to visitors can be produced relatively easily, there being no log books to look through and information which is linked can be grouped together. For example if there are a number of visitors from the same company then these visitors may be grouped together, or if there are a number of visitors visiting the same host then these may also be grouped together. The system may allow the information contained in the report to be grouped as desired.

[0035] There may be provided the facility to link subsequent visits to the premises by the same person. This may allow frequent visitors to be noted.

[0036] The identification label printed by the label printing means may have attachment means. An advantage of such attachment means is that the identification label can easily be worn by the visitor to the premises.

[0037] The attachment means of the identification means may be a pin attachment which allows it to be pinned to the visitor, or may be a sticky portion which allows it to be stuck to the user or to a plastic badge ( the badge then being attached to the visitor).

[0038] The identification label may have a machine readable portion. The machine readable portion may for instance be a bar code ( which may or may not be printed by the label printing means), or may be a magnetic strip incorporated into the material (e.g. paper, cloth or fabric) used by the label printing means. Doors or barriers within the premises may be provided with means to read the machine readable portion.

[0039] An advantage of the machine readable portion is that it may be used to open some or possibly all internal doors. It may be used to allow the visitor to gain access to only certain areas depending on their status.

[0040] The machine readable portion may be a separate pass which is attached or combined with the identification label produced by the system, providing a convenient manner to provide machine readability. The separate machine readable pass can be re-issued to subsequent, different, visitors after it has been returned by an earlier visitor.

[0041] An identification number may be provided on the separate, machine readable, pass which is stored on the storage means. An advantage of storing the identification number is that a record is maintained as to which separate pass is issued to which visitor.

[0042] The separate, machine readable, pass may be combined with the identification label by placing both into a plastics material wallet, providing a relatively clean and protective environment for them.

[0043] The plastics material wallet may be clear and may have attachment means to attach it to the visitor or contractor. An advantage of this is that the wallet can be placed in a prominent position, such as a shirt pocket, with the identification label visible through the clear plastics material of the wallet.

[0044] The separate machine readable pass may be readable by the machine whilst it is still being worn by a visitor. For example the visitor may hold the pass a short distance in front of a reader which can read through the carrying wallet. For example the machine readable pass may have an electronic circuit that modifies an incoming transmitted signal (from the reader) so as to provide an identification signal).

[0045] Each identification label may have its own unique identification number which may be stored in the storage means.

[0046] Possibly an identification label reading means is provided which is linked to the input means which reads the machine readable portion of the identification means. An advantage of such an identification label reading means is that the visitor may be logged out of, or into, the visitor monitoring system by having their badge read. Thus the visitor may be able to log themselves out of the system and get their departure time marked against their name without bothering the person operating the visitor monitoring system.

[0047] Possibly the identification label reading means linked to the input means may cause the label printing means to produce a car park pass to be printed when the visitor departs. The car park pass may also have a machine readable portion which may be read by a device in order to allow the visitor's car to exit from the car park.

[0048] It is known that some buildings/companies need to issue temporary passes, for example to contractors working at the building/company for a short period. The system may need to have the capability to issue temporary passes and visitor's passes. The storage means may be adapted to store information relating to the issue of temporary passes.

[0049] The system may also comprise image capturing means, providing a means to capture pictures of visitors, which it will be appreciated is a good way of identifying them.

[0050] Captured images may be printed by the label printing means onto the identification label, so providing a way for employee's of the visited company to determine if the identification label is being worn by the correct person.

[0051] The storage means may store the captured images, so that they can be recalled at a later date.

[0052] It will be appreciated that graphic images, particularly photographic quality images, require much more storage space than a visitors name, address, and the like. The storage means may therefore only be able to store the images of selected visitors/contractors.

[0053] The storage means may for instance only store the images of frequent visitors to the site, for example contractors. An advantage of this approach is that much more economical use of the storage means results.

[0054] The system may further comprise room booking means, providing a facility for hosts to book a meeting room, or the like, to receive their visitor in.

[0055] The room booking means may maintain, on the storage means, a list of times when each room of the building/site (used to receive visitors) is unavailable or available. An advantage of this is that it is readily determinable whether or not a room is free.

[0056] Touch screen technology may be used on the display means, and as such provides a system which is easy to operate.

[0057] The system may allow visitors to log themselves into the building (either using a system with or without touch screen technology), so reducing the number of staff required to monitor the building.

[0058] A region of anti photocopiable material may be provided on the identification label. An advantage of this is that the identification label can not be easily reproduced and thus security is further increased.

[0059] According to a second aspect of the invention there is provided a method of controlling visits by visitors to premises comprising inputting information relating to the visitor, storing the information, and printing an identification label containing some or all of the information input.

[0060] Preferably the method further comprises inputting details relating to the visitor's car and printing a pass for the car park. There may be a separate pass for the car park or a single pass which serves as an identification pass and a car park pass.

[0061] The method may comprise inputting the visitors details via a standard input device such as a computer key board. The method may further comprise viewing the details on a visual display unit before storing the details. Viewing the details in such a manner will ensure that the details are correct before any pass is printed.

[0062] An embodiment of the invention will now be described, by way of example only, with reference to the accompanying Figures in which:-

Figure 1 shows a schematic of the visitor monitoring system;

Figure 2 is of an identification label prepared by the system; and

Figure 3 is the identification label prepared by the system after it has been photocopied.

[0063] Figure 1 shows the various parts of the visitor monitoring system to increase the security of a company's premises, which include a display means 2, an identification label printing means 4, an input means 6, an identification label reading means 8 and a storage means 10. The storage means 10 further comprises an appointment recording means (not shown) and a hosts' details recording means (not shown).

[0064] The display means 2 comprises a visual display unit adapted to display information contained in the visitor monitoring system. The input means 6 comprises a keyboard and the label printing means 4 comprises a colour Inkjet printer. The storage means 10 is connected to the keyboard 6, the label printing means 4, the visual display unit 2 and the identification label reading means 8. The storage means 10 has within it a central processing unit (not shown) to process the information in the system.

[0065] Also shown in Figure 1 are expected visitor input means 12, 14, 16 which comprise keyboards and display units remote from but connected to the storage means 10. Any security doors 18 (only one of which is shown as an example) in the premises are provided with an identification label reading means 20 in their vicinity. The identification label reading means 20 is connected to the storage means 10.

[0066] A barrier 22 provided at an exit of a car park of the premises also has provided in its vicinity an identification label reading means 24 which is also linked to the storage means 10.

[0067] The visual display unit 2, the colour Inkjet printer 4 and the keyboard 6 are provided so that a receptionist 26, who is in charge of admitting visitors to the premises, can comfortably use these items. Although in Figure 1 the storage means is shown next to the receptionist it will be realised by a person skilled in the art that it may be provided remotely from the receptionist.

[0068] In operation a visitor enters the premises of the company and is greeted in the usual manner by the receptionist 26. After enquiring as to the identity of the visitor the receptionist 26 views the appointments for the day, held in the appointment recording means, to ascertain whether the visitor is expected. If the visitors name appears on the appointment recording means the reception 26 views the hosts' details on the display unit and checks with the visitor to further ascertain whether the correct person has arrived. The details kept about potential hosts include: forename, surname, job description, department and extension number. If the visitor appears not to be expected ( their name does not appear on the appointment recording means ) or the person appears to be an impostor ( answers incorrectly when asked about the person they are visiting) then the receptionist can act accordingly.

[0069] Once the receptionist 26 has determined the identity of the visitor he/she enters the visitor details into the storage means 10, via the keyboard 6. The visual display unit 2 displays the information as it is entered so that the receptionist can determine that the information has been entered correctly. If a visitor has visited the site previously then the visitor's details will already be held by the storage means 10 and will not need to input again. If the visitor's details are already present the receptionist simply checks the details as they appear on the display unit 2, and alters the details if they are incorrect.

[0070] The information required about the visitor by the storage means 10 includes: visitor's name (forenames and surnames), visitor's company, type of visitor, car registration number, host being visited, date and time of arrival, and any notes that the receptionist feels are required.

[0071] After the visitor's details are present in the storage means 10 and the receptionist has ensured that they have been entered correctly the Inkjet printer 4 prints an identification label for the visitor. An example of an identification label 28 produced by the system is shown in Figure 2. The label 28 has a machine readable portion which is capable of being read by any of the identification label reading means 8,20 and 24

[0072] The identification label reading means 20 is provided to operate the security door 18 in its vicinity. The visitor is permitted to pass through the door 18 when the identification label 28 has been read by the identification label reading means 20.

[0073] Similarly the identification label reading means 8 reads the machine readable portion of the identification label 28. When a person is leaving the premises the visitor has their card read by the identification label reading means 8 which logs the user out of the premises by entering a departure time against the visitors name. Alternatively the receptionist 26 may manually enter the departure time for the visitor by inputting the time on the keyboard 6.

[0074] The departure times of visitors to the site may be displayed on the visual display unit 2. If there is no departure time displayed against a visitor logged into the system then it may be assumed that the visitor did not leave the premises.

[0075] The identification label 28 produced by the system also operates as a car park pass and may be read by the identification label reading means 24. The visitor keeps the identification label given to them after they leave the reception area and presents the identification label to the identification label reading means 24. The car park barrier 22 is then opened allowing the visitor to exit the car park.

[0076] The visual display unit 2 allows any information contained within the storage means to be viewed. The information displayed may be ordered in various ways by the person viewing the visual display unit 2. The ways in which the information may be sorted includes: forename, surname, host's name, unique badge number, type of visitor, date visitor was logged on to the system, car registration number, host being visited, appointment time, arrival time, exit time or visitor's company. It will be appreciated by a person skilled in the art that each of these criteria for ordering the information displayed on the visual display unit has its own merits.

[0077] The visual display unit 2 allows the information to be scrolled as the person viewing it desires.

[0078] At the end of each day visitor monitoring system provides a report of the activities of the day. The Inkjet printer 4 is used to produce a hard copy of the report if desired. The storage means 10 groups data into groups as required by the person producing the report. The departure time of the visitor is listed in the report so that it can be readily ascertained whether all of the visitors have left the premises.

[0079] Any potential hosts can enter details onto the appointment recording means at the expected visitor input means 12, 14, 16 nearest to them. The ability to enter new appointments in this matter ensures that the receptionist has an up to date list of people to expect without having to constantly update the list his/her self.

[0080] The identification label shown in Figures 2 and 3 comprises three portions: a front portion 100, a back portion 102 and a car park portion 104.

[0081] On the front portion of the identification label 100, is displayed the visitors details including his/her name 106, the company 108 he/she is from, the host they are visiting 110, his/her status 112 (e.g. visitor, contractor), the date 114 and an anti copy region 116. Other features could be provided on this front portion, for example a picture of the visitor.

[0082] The back portion 102 of the identification label shows rules and conditions relating to the issue of the identification label.

[0083] The front portion 100 and the back portion 102 are printed on the same sheet of material, but have score line 118 between them.

[0084] The car park portion 104 is also printed on the same sheet of material, but is provided with a perforated line 120, between it and the front portion 100. The car park portion 104 is provided with some of the details of the front portion 100. A self adhesive region 122 is provided at a top portion of the car park portion 104, which is covered with a removable backing strip (not shown).

[0085] The identification label is provided as a pre-printed blank with spaces for the Inkjet printer 4 to fill. In the example shown these spaces comprise blanks for the name 106, the company 108, the host 110, visitor status 112 and the date 114.

[0086] In use a blank pre-printed identification label (not shown) is inserted into the Inkjet printer 4 and has the details printed onto it. The visitor/contractor then removes (by tearing along the perforated line 120) the car park portion 104. By removing the backing strip from the self adhesive region 122, it is possible to adhere the car park portion to the visitor's/contractor's car/vehicle windscreen.

[0087] The remaining two portions (the front 100 and the back 102 portions) are folded along the score line 118, so that the faces shown in the Figure are facing outwards. These two portions 100,102 are then placed in a clear plastic wallet allowing both the visitors/contractors details and the conditions to be viewed, along with a separate pass incorporating a machine readable portion (not shown).

[0088] The rear face of the identification label (not shown) may have details such as a map of the company premises printed on it.

[0089] Figure 3 shows the identification label after it has been photocopied. The anti photocopy region 116 has not been faithfully reproduced by the photocopies and instead the word void 124 has been revealed a number of times.

[0090] It will be appreciated that the overall system can cancel the acceptability of out of date passes. Control means operating security doors and/or car park gates/barriers may have their allowable codes changed periodically (e.g. daily). A pass printed (issued) one day may therefore be useless on subsequent days - this can help to prevent unauthorised access. The pass may bear the date prominently so as to make visual identification of time-expired passes easy, or they may be printed with fading inks. The system may periodically, automatically change both the security code printed onto a pass (or otherwise entered onto it) and the acceptable security codes of the pass readers. Alternatively or additionally, this may be done by manual inputs to the system.

Claims

1. A visitor monitoring system characterised in that it comprises input means (6) for inputting identification material relating to visitors, storage means (10) for storing the identification material input by the input means (6), and pass, badge or label printing means (4) for printing an identification pass, badge or label for wearing by the visitor, the pass, badge or label printing means (4) being arranged to print at least some of the identification material held in the storage means (10).

2. A visitor monitoring system according to claim 1 characterised in that the storage means (10) further comprises appointment recording means to record information about expected visitors.

3. A visitor monitoring system according to claim 1 or claim 2 characterised in that it which further comprises amendment means, which allows information contained in the storage means (10) to be amended or deleted.

4. A visitor monitoring system according to any preceding claim characterised in that it further comprises a display means (2) which allows information contained within the storage means (10) and information as it is being input to the input means (6) to be viewed.

5. A visitor monitoring system according to claim 4 characterised in that the display means (2) displays information relating to the expected arrival time of a visitor.

6. A visitor monitoring system according to any preceding claim characterised in that it further comprises report producing means to produce reports relating to the visitors to the premises, said reports containing one or more of the following items of information: a visitor's surname, a visitor's forename, a company a visitor is from, a host that a visitor is visiting, a car registration number of visitor's car.

7. A visitor monitoring system according to claim 6 characterised in that the report producing means can print the report on the pass, label or badge printing means (4).

8. A visitor monitoring system according to any preceding claim characterised in that the storage means further comprises vehicle identification recording means, which is adapted to record the registration details of visitor's vehicles.

9. A visitor monitoring system according to any preceding claim characterised in that it is capable of producing, in use, identification labels which are machine readable.

10. A method of controlling visits by visitors to premises comprising inputting information relating to the visitor, storing the information, and printing an identification label containing some or all of the information input.

Drawing