Access & T&A

From mankind’s very first access control system to today’s modern access control systems, there has always been a need to protect people and assets by limiting access to sensitive areas.
A good access control should be able to grow with your business and also capable to add new building sites in various locations around the world. 256 bit AES encryption secures worldwide integration over the internet without any intrusion risks. There should be no difference if the building is nearby or at the other side of the world. It should be flexible, easy to use and fully integrated with all other building automation and security functions of the system. It should allow you the maximum on flexibility of identification methods and integrate also wireless lock systems for lower risk doors. Full support all kinds of special functions like tailgate, airlocks, time and zone anti pass back, park management, integration of licence plate cameras for car park access control and many other functions are matter of course. Integration with the building management allows automatically disarming the connected alarm area on valid access, switching lights, and activating attached surveillance camera in case of  no access or blocked cards. For the acceptance of the user it’s very important that all system decisions are made in a fraction of a second even in case of anti-pass back. Today access control systems work with highly encrypted RFID cards  with triple DES or AES which allow many different applications from different venders on one card. Cards with up to 4kb allows easily to store biometric data’s like finger print or palm-ID’s ore IRIS scans, to verify the identity of it’s user. Last but not least a good access control terminal should fit to the buildings architecture design.
Today’s Time & Attendance systems work fully integrated with the access control. A granted access in a working area, automatically generates an “In booking” at the time attendance if the T&A status is absent.  Intelligent T&A terminals with touch displays and IP interface featuring instant display of the time balance and will work independent in case of network or power failure.  If the last employee leaves, arming of the building could be automatically triggered. T&A terminals with touch displays allow flexible configuration of leave reasons and also the display of individual messages to the employee.

Biometric:

methods to identify a person by Fingerprint, palm, face recognition or iris scan become more and more an important part of modern access control systems. The biometric data’s could be either used to identify a person without extra cards or keys, or just verify the identity of the card holder with biometric data’s stored on the RFID-card. Different biometric identification methods have different security levels and acceptance by the users:
   Finger print is the most used biometric identity, but should not be used as only identity method for more than 500 persons. In combination with an ID-card it is a perfect and cost effective method to increase security in access control.
Experiments have shown that fingerprint scanners can be duped by photocopied prints, cadaver fingers and 3D-Prints. Attention: Do not use in hospitals or similar installation to prevent the risk of spreading infectious diseases.
   Palm readers are scanning the blood vessels in the palm and promise to trump fingerprint based system. The reader work with a distance of 5cm without the need to touch the sensor.
This sensor need a large sensor area and a trained stuff to use. Security similar to finger print.
   Face recognition system uses a digital camera image to identify a person by extracting landmarks of features from a face like relative position and distance of eyes, nose cheekbones and jaw. Most systems work with 2-dimensional pictures which could be tricked by photo images.
Better systems use three-dimensional face recognition by using stereo cameras. This method is very user friendly, but today time an expensive solution. Safety currently below 97%
   IRIS scan readers perform recognition detection of a person’s identity by mathematical analysis of the random patterns that are visible within the iris of an eye from some distance.  It combines computer vision, pattern recognition, statistical inference and optics. Of all the biometric devices and scanners available today, it is generally conceded that iris recognition is the most accurate. A combination of 3D face recognition with IRIS scan in a small box with megapixel cameras will replace in future all card based access control systems. Safety nearby 100%.

Offline functionality:

Access controllers should be able to make the access decision without help of the host system and communicate direct with other controllers to exchange relevant information, like anti pass back position, without the need of a host system. The host system should only be necessary for graphical monitoring, storing long time reports, signalling alarm situation and configuration of the system and the access rights. Local battery backup with battery monitoring in each controller guaranties continuous operation in case of power fail.

Wireless electronic locks:

this new technology enables users to expand their existing access control systems with doors which are not easy connected by wires. TCP-IP to 2.4GHz wireless communication converters with 128Bit AES encryption, communicate with battery powered locks. In good implementation, access decision is made by the standard access controller, which communicates directly with the RF converter by TCP/IP. Access protocols, lock and battery status are transmitted by the same method back to the access controller. This gives a smooth and  easy possibility to expand the system without the need off extensive cabling for not easy reachable positions. Lock batteries typically need to be exchanged every 2 years.

Elevator control:

Especial in big building and sky scrapers, a good integration off the access control with the elevator system is a mandatory feature. Besides the feature to enable access to assigned floors it should already optimise the call of the elevators at the building entrance and show the assigned elevator to the user. This minimise the amount of elevator travels and waiting time to for the user.