GB2161967A

GB2161967A - Safety inspection monitoring system

Info

Publication number: GB2161967A
Application number: GB08517574A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Graham Lowe
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1984-07-21
Filing date: 1985-07-11
Publication date: 1986-01-22
Also published as: GB8517574D0; GB8418668D0

Abstract

There is disclosed a security inspection monitoring system including a portable unit 12 including a bar-code reader 17 which is used by a guard on an inspection round to read bar-coded labels 19 at spaced locations on the inspection route. In many embodiments the identity of locations visited is stored by the portable unit for subsequent retrieval. <IMAGE>

Description

SPECIFICATION Safety inspection monitoring system This invention concerns a system for monitoring a security guard making a security inspection round over a predetermined inspection route on a site under surveillance.

It is important for the guard's personal safety that an alarm is given if he is unduly delayed as might occur, for example, if he were to be attacked by an intruder during the course of his round. It is also important for the guard's employer to be sure that the round is in fact properly completed.

Various monitoring systems are known in which the guard carries a logging device containing a clock, which device must be engaged by mechanical keys at spaced locations around the route. Such systems are prone to abuse in various ways. The clock may be deliberately damaged or the keys may be duplicated or simply removed from their proper locations.

It is an object of the present invention to provide an improved security inspection monitoring system which is less prone to abuse than systems known hitherto and which is particularly simple for the guard to use.

According to the present invention there is provided a security inspection monitoring system including a portable bar-code reader and a plurality of bar-coded labels adapted to be disposed at spaced locations along the inspection route.

In a preferred arrangement the security inspection monitoring system comprises: a terminal unit adapted to be located at the coincident starting and finishing points of an inspection route, a portable unit adapted to accompany a security guard as he proceeds along the inspection route, reporting means, and a plurality of inspection point bar-coded labels adapted to be disposed at spaced locations along the inspection route, said terminal unit incorporating timing means and forming an interface between said portable unit and said reporting means, reader and individual switch means for each inspection point adapted to be actuated as the locations of labels are visited and the labels read as the guard proceeds along the route, said timing means being adapted to be initiated when the guard commences the round by removal of the portable unit from the vicinity of the terminal unit, and said terminal unit being arranged to activate said reporting means if the portable unit is not returned to its vicinity after a predetermined delay or if returned within said delay without all of said switch means having been actuated.

The terminal unit may be located in a manned control centre such as the security lodge of a large industrial site and from which security guards leave to make their inspection rounds, when the reporting means may comprise a simple alarm device such as a bell or may be located at an unmanned location on the site under surveillance in which case the reporting means communicates with a central control which may be remote from the site and which may serve many different sites, by telephone or radio.

The reporting means may communicate signals indicating when a security round has commenced, when the round has been completed or not within the predetermined time, as the case may be, and which, if any, individiual switch means in the portable unit have not been actuated upon completion of a round.

The invention will be further apparent from the following description, with reference to the several figures of the accompanying drawings, which show, by way of example only, one security inspection monitoring system embodying the invention.

Of the drawings: Figure 1 shows a diagrammatic lay-out of the entire system; Figure 2 shows a perspective view of the portable unit of the system; and Figure 3 shows a plan view of one of the inspection point labels of the system.

Referring firstly to Figure 1, it will be seen that the system comprises a terminal unit 10 which is located at an unmanned location on the site under surveillance and at a position corresponding with the start and coincident finish of an inspection route R, a plurality (in this example twelve) of inspection point labels 11 and a portable unit 1 2. The portable unit 1 2 is normally resident with the terminal unit 10 when it is electrically connected therewith by means of multi-way jack-plugs 1 3 which extend from the casing of the unit 10 and which are removably engaged with complementary jack-sockets 14 in the unit 1 2.

The portable unit 1 2 may be disconnected from the terminal unit 10 to be carried by a security guard around the route R. The unit 1 2 contains a battery power supply and is conveniently located in a carrying case 1 5 equipped with a hand strap 16. The unit 12 incorporates a bar code reader 1 7 and a plurality of individual switch means, one for each of the inspection point labels 11 around the route R. Each switch means is comprised by an electronic self-latching relay. Each switch mean is adapted to latch in an 'on' state when the reader 1 7 of the unit 1 2 has successfully read its corresponding inspection point label 11.Each inspection point label 11 comprises a base plate 1 8 which mounts a unique bar-coded label 1 9 permanently secured by security screws 20 or the like. Successful reading of a label 11 is sensed by a microprocessor within the unit 1 2 to cause the corresponding switch means to latch in an 'on' state, at the same time illuminating a corresponding light-emitting diode 21 on a fascia panel to the unit 12 whereby proper reading of the label 11 and actuation of the switch means can be verified. There are twelve diodes 21, one for each of the inspection point labels 11.

In use, a security guard withdraws the unit 1 2 from the terminal unit 10 at the commencement of his inspection round. This operation starts a timer housed within the unit 10 and sets all of the individual switch means within the unit 1 2 to their 'off' states. As the guard makes his round he visits each of the locations of the inspection point labels 11 in turn and reads them with the reader 1 7 thus actuating the individual switch means in turn.

Upon completion of the round the security guard returns the unit 1 2 and reconnects it with the terminal unit which senses the condition of the individual switch means.

The terminal unit 10 includes reporting means in the form of an automatic telephone dialling system adapted to call a remote central control indicated by the telephone 30 in Figure 1 but in practice comprised perhaps by a microprocessor adapted to receive coded signals from the unit 10 and prepare a printed report therefrom.

The terminal unit 10 calls and signals to the central control 30 whenever: ;q;-the unit 1 2 is removed indicating the start of an inspection round -the unit 1 2 is not returned within a predetermined time delay from its removal.

-the unit is returned without all of the individual switch means therein having been actuated.

The signals will normally include information identifying the reporting unit and time of commencement and completion of each inspection round.

In a more sophisticated system the unit 10 may send signals identifying which (if any) of the individual switch means have not been actuated at the completion of the inspection round.

Detailed circuitry for the units 10 and 1 2 is not described since such is within the ordinary skills and knowledge of an electronic engineer and may take numerous different forms.

It will be appreciated that it is not intended to limit the invention to the above example only, many variations, such as might readily occur to one skilled in the art, being possible, without departing from the scope thereof as defined by the appended claims.

Thus, for example, the use of bar coded labels at spaced locations around an inspection route and a portable bar code reader adapted to be carried by the guard as he makes his round can be applied in many different systems than that specifically described.

Thus, the portable unit may include timing means enabling the time at which each location on the inspection route is visited to be recorded in memory for subsequent retrieval.

Claims

1. A security inspection monitoring system including a portable unit having a bar-code reader connected thereto and a plurality of bar-coded labels adapted to be disposed at spaced locations along the inspection route.

2. A security inspection monitoring system according to claim 1 wherein said portable unit includes memory means adapted to store data concerning the locations visited during an inspection round.

3. A security inspection monitoring system according to claim 2 wherein said portable unit incorporates a microprocessor.

4. A security inspection monitoring system according to claim 3 wherein said portable unit includes timing means enabling the time at which each location on the inspection route is visited to be recorded in said memory means.

5. A security inspection monitoring system according to any one of claims 2 to 4 including a terminal unit adapted to be located at the finishing point of an inspection route and to receive stored data from the portable unit on completion of an inspection round.

6. A security inspection monitoring system comprising a terminal unit adapted to be located at the coincident starting and finishing points of an inspection route, a portable unit adapted to accompany a security guard as he proceeds along the inspection route, reporting means, and a plurality of inspection point barcoded labels adapted to be disposed at spaced locations along the inspection route, said terminal unit incorporating timing means and forming an interface between said portable unit and said reporting means, said portable unit incorporating a bar-code reader and individual switch means for each inspection point adapted to be actuated as the locations of labels are visited and the labels read as the guard proceeds along the route, said timing means being adapted to be initiated when the guard commences the round by removal of the portable unit from the vicinity of the terminal unit, and said terminal unit being arranged to activate said reporting means if the portable unit is not returned to its vicinity after a predetermined delay or if returned within said delay without all of said switch means having been actuated.

7. A security inspection monitoring system according to claim 6 wherein said reporting means comprises a simple alarm device such as a bell.

8. A security inspection monitoring system according to claim 6 wherein said reporting means is adapted to communicate with a remote location by telephone or radio.

9. A security inspection monitoring system according to claim 8 wherein said reporting means communicates signals indicating when a security round has commenced, when the round has been completed or not within the predetermined time, as the case may be, and which, if any, individiual switch means in the portable unit have not been actuated upon completion of a round.