INTEGRATED INTERPHONE AND RFID ACCESS CONTROL ENCODER

Abstract

An interphone panel for a multiple dwelling building operable to control access and encode replacement keys, the interphone panel comprising: a controller; a proximity key tag reader/encoder responsive to the controller; and an interphone voice path responsive to the controller, the interphone voice path creating a voice path between a user and a dweller of the multiple dwelling building, the controller being operative to encode a proximity key tag via the proximity key tag reader/encoder with at least one of building information, dwelling information and key code information.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

For a better understanding of the invention and to show how the same may be carried into effect, reference will now be made, purely by way of example, to the accompanying drawings in which like numerals designate corresponding elements or sections throughout.

With specific reference now to the drawings in detail, it is stressed that the particulars shown are by way of example and for purposes of illustrative discussion of the preferred embodiments of the present invention only, and are presented in the cause of providing what is believed to be the most useful and readily understood description of the principles and conceptual aspects of the invention. In this regard, no attempt is made to show structural details of the invention in more detail than is necessary for a fundamental understanding of the invention, the description taken with the drawings making apparent to those skilled in the art how the several forms of the invention may be embodied in practice. In the accompanying drawings:

FIG. 1 illustrates an embodiment of a interphone panel exhibiting a key tag reader/encoder, a keypad and a display in accordance with a principle of the invention;

FIG. 2 illustrates a high level block diagram of the interphone panel of FIG. 1 in accordance with a principle of the invention;

FIG. 3 illustrates a high level diagram of a system in accordance with a principle of the invention in which a single portable management computing platform is used to encode key tags, the management computing platform being in communication with the interphone panel to which it is connected;

FIG. 4 illustrates a high level diagram a system in accordance with a principle of the invention in which a plurality of management computing platform are provided for encoding key tags for a plurality of multiple dwelling buildings, each of the buildings being represented by an interphone panel, the network being further provided with a central server;

FIG. 5 illustrates encoding of key tags for each dweller of a dwelling by color in accordance with a principle of the invention;

FIG. 6 illustrates a high level flow chart of the operation of the interphone to allow for programming of new key tags in accordance with a principle of the invention;

FIG. 7 illustrates a high level flow chart of the operation of the interphone to allow for programming of replacement key tags in accordance with a principle of the invention;

FIG. 8 illustrates a high level flow chart of the operation of the interphone panel to allow for restoring the information to the interphone from the key tags in accordance with a principle of the invention; and

FIG. 9 illustrates a high level flow chart of the operation of the interphone panel to control access to a multiple dwelling building and erase information from key tags which have been replaced in accordance with a principle of the invention.

Claims

1. An interphone panel for a multiple dwelling building operable to control access and encode replacement keys, said interphone panel comprising: a controller;a proximity key tag reader/encoder responsive to said controller; andan interphone voice path responsive to said controller, said interphone voice path creating a voice path between a user and a dweller of the multiple dwelling building,said controller being operative to encode a proximity key tag via said proximity key tag reader/encoder with at least one of building information, dwelling information and key code information.

2. An interphone panel according to claim 1, further comprising a keypad associated with said controller, said controller being operative to encode the proximity key tag responsive to a pre-determined code entered via said keypad.

3. An interphone panel according to claim 2, further comprising an electronically controlled lock responsive to said controller, said controller allowing building access via said electronically controlled lock.

4. An interphone panel according to claim 1, further comprising a database associated with said controller, said database comprising building information, dwelling information, key code information, and date stamp information, said date stamp information being associated with said key code information, said controller being further operative to encode the proximity tag with said date stamp information.

5. An interphone panel according to claim 4, wherein said key code information is associated with a unique key color.

6. An interphone panel according to claim 5, wherein said unique key color is selected from among blue, green, yellow, orange and red.

7. An interphone panel according to claim 4, wherein said controller is further operative to read at least one of building information, dwelling information, key code information and date stamp information from a key tag sensed in proximity to said proximity key tag reader/encoder, and compare said read information with said information on said database.

8. An interphone panel according to claim 7, wherein in the event said read date stamp information is newer than said stored date stamp information, said controller is operative to replace said stored date stamp information with said read date stamp information.

9. An interphone panel according to claim 7, wherein in the event said read date stamp information is older than said stored date stamp information, said controller is operative to erase at least one of building information, dwelling information and key code information from said key tag.

10. An interphone panel according to claim 4, wherein said controller is operative to store at least one of building information, dwelling information and key code information read from at least one key tag in said database, said stored information being use to restrict access to users of key tags.

11. An interphone panel according to claim 1, wherein said dwelling information comprises one of a plurality of names associated with the dwelling.

12. A method of restricting access and encoding key tags, the method comprising: providing an interphone panel having a proximity key tag reader/encoder; andencoding a proximity key tag via said proximity key tag reader/encoder with at least one of building information, dwelling information and key code information.

13. A method according to claim 12, further comprising: receiving a pre-determined code,said encoding being responsive to said received pre-determined code.

14. A method according to claim 13, further comprising: allowing access in response to an authorized sensed proximity key tag.

15. A method according to claim 12, further comprising: storing building information, dwelling information, key code information, and date stamp information, said date stamp information being associated with said key code information; andencoding the proximity key tag with said date stamp information.

16. A method according to claim 15, wherein said key code information is associated with a unique key color.

17. A method according to claim 16, wherein said unique key color is selected from among blue, green, yellow, orange and red.

18. A method according to claim 15, further comprising: sensing a key tag in proximity to said provided proximity key tag reader/encoder;reading at least one of building information, dwelling information, key code information and date stamp information from said sensed key tag sensed; andcomparing said read information with said stored information.

19. A method according to claim 18, further comprising in the event said read date stamp information is newer than said stored date stamp information, replacing said stored date stamp information with said read date stamp information.

20. A method according to claim 18, further comprising in the event said read date stamp information is older than said stored date stamp information, erasing at least one of building information, dwelling information and key code information from said sensed key tag.

21. A method according to claim 15, further comprising storing at least one of building information, dwelling information and key code information read from at least one key tag, said stored information being use to restrict access to users of key tags.

22. A method according to claim 12, wherein said dwelling information comprises one of a plurality of names associated with the dwelling.

23. A method of backing up an interphone panel via at least one key tag, said method comprising: storing building information, dwelling information and key code information on a key tag;in the event of a need to restore information from a key tag: reading said stored building information from the key tag; andreading said stored dwelling information from the key tag; andin the event either of said read building information or said dwelling information has not been stored on the interphone panel; storing at lest one of said read building information and dwelling information on said interphone panel,whereby future key tags are authorized based on said stored information on said interphone panel.

24. A method according to claim 23, further comprising in the event of a need to restore information from a key tag: reading said stored key code information from the key tag; andin the event said key code information has not been stored on said interphone panel, storing said read key code information on said interphone panel, thereby allowing future access to a key tag having said stored key code information.

25. A method according to claim 24, further comprising: in the event said key code information has been stored on said interphone panel, comparing a date stamp of said read stored key code information with said stored key code information, and in the event said date stamp of said stored key code information is older than said read stored key code information, replacing said stored key code information with said read key code information.

26. A method according to claim 25, further comprising: in the event said date stamp of said stored key code information is newer than said read stored key code information, erasing said key code information from said key tag.

27. An interphone panel for a multiple dwelling building operable to control access and encode replacement keys, said interphone panel comprising: a controller;a proximity key tag reader/encoder responsive to said controller; anda database associated with said controller, said database comprising building information, dwelling information, key code information, and date stamp information, said date stamp information being associated with said key code information, said controller being further operative to encode the proximity tag with said date stamp information.

28. An interphone panel according to claim 27, wherein said controller is further operative to: read at least one of building information, dwelling information, key code information and date stamp information from a key tag sensed in proximity to said proximity key tag reader/encoder;compare said read information with said information on said database; andin the event said read date stamp information is newer than said stored date stamp information, replace said stored date stamp information with said read date stamp information; andin the event said read date stamp information is older than said stored date stamp information, erase at least one of building information, dwelling information and key code information from said key tag.