IES59926B2 - A security operations control system - Google Patents

Description

SSAaiij APPUCATO^ ......— .Security Operations ...Control SvsteaLw The invention, relates to a control system for security operations whereby a large number of personnel carry out security work on various premises spread over a geographical area.

At present, various systems have been devised to assist in such work. For example, European Patent Specification No. EP-B-0 183 738 (Deister) describes a monitoring system in which there are a number of hand-held patrol clocks which are carried by security guards. The patrol clocks read 10 magnetically coded checkpoints at different locations in a premises for which a guard is responsible. It is onlynecessary for the guard to wipe the patrol clock down the entire length of the magnetically coded checkpoint and it thus takes only a few seconds for recording both the 15 actual time and the location of the visit by the guard.

United States Patent Specification No. US-A-5,166,499 (Facility Management Systems Inc.) describes a tour monitor system which provides the additional features of stored intelligence in the hand-held device. This device 20 is programmed to prompt the guard through the tour by displaying the names of successive zones. The device also allows the guard to enter alpha-numeric messages which are stored in combination with the scanned checkpoint codes in a log. This log is then transmitted to a report 25 generating computer for analysis.

While these developments are very useful in operations control generally for a security firm, there is a need for an integrated system which makes use of available technology and yet at the same time provides both direct 30 operations control and back-office data for personnel in a timely manner to assist in operations control generally. The invention is thus directed towards providing a system - 2 which is integrated in this manner to provide a comprehensive set of data and control instructions for operation of a security firm.

According to the invention, there is provided a security operations control system comprising:a bi-directional data network; an operations data processor connected to the network; a data capture device connected to the operations data processor; a bank of data storage devices connected to the operations data processor, the storage devices storing groups of files including guard, premises,, tour duty and general data groups; means in the operations data processor for retrieving data files, reading data relating to locations and actual time, and generating processed operations control data; and an operations control interface connected to the network and having means for polling the operations processor via the network, for retrieving the processed data, and for generating both graphical video screen interface control signals and printing control signals according to the processed data.

In one embodiment, the operations control interface comprises means for receiving real-time data and also fixed data relating to tour duties, and wherein the operations data processor comprises means for receiving the real-time data and the fixed data from the operations control interface, and historical data from the data capture device to which it is connected and generating data files for storage in the bank of storage devices.

Preferably, the system further comprises a magnetic patrol clock system having a plurality of hand-held patrol clocks and a portable non-volatile memory device, and wherein the data capture device connected to operations data processor comprises means for reading data from the portable memory device to provide the historical data» Ideally, the system further comprises a back-office data processor connected to a database, and connected to the network for reception of data from the operations data processor.

In another embodiment, said operations data processor comprises means for filtering data files to write selected data to a compatible-format file and wherein the backoffice data processor comprises means for automatically monitoring the network and the operations data processor for the compatible-format file for updating its associated data bank.

The invention will be more clearly understood from the following description of some embodiments thereof, given by way of example only with reference to the accompanying drawings in which:Fig. 1 is a schematic representation of a security operations control system of the invention; and Fig. 2 is a flow chart indicating the manner in which the system operates. - 4 Referring to the drawings, there is illustrated a security operations control system of the invention, indicated generally by the reference numeral 1. The system 1 comprises a bi-directional local area data network 2 operating at 10 Mb/s. This network is an essential part of the system in that it provides the necessary links between back-office sections of the system and also the operations control sections which provide the direct control instructions.

Th® primary sections of the system 1 include an operations data processing section 3, a back-office data processing system 4, and an operations control interface section 5.

The section 3 comprises an operations data processor 10 which is connected to the network 2. The processor 10 is also connected to a data capture device 11. Further, the section 3 includes a bank 12 of data storage devices in which there are four primary disk structures as follows:~ a location file structure 12(a), - a guard file structure 12(b), - a tour specification file structure 12(c), and - a general file structure 12(d).

The section 4 comprises a back-office data processor 20 connected to a pair of database structures 21(a) and 21(b). These structures store background data including accounts data.

Finally, the section 5 comprises various components for interfacing to provide operations control. These components include a network interface 30, a graphical interface 31 and a report generator 32 connected to a printer, not shown. Various security documents 33 are illustrated.

The system 1 is now described in more detail with reference to both Figs. 1 and 2. One part of the system which is not illustrated is a magnetic patrol clock system comprising a large number of patrol clocks which are 5 carried by guards on a tour of duty. These clocks record actual time and locations for up to 2,000 checks and indeed some clocks record up to 3,900 checks. This checkpoint data is accumulated by the guards in step 41 and is downloaded in step 42 to a portable memory device 10 as historical location and actual time data. The word historical is used to indicate any data captured before the current event, even if it is very recent, as would generally be the case. It is from this portable memory device that data is captured by the device 11 which reads 15 the magnetically-stored data which of course is primarily location and time data. This is written by the operations data processor 10 to the relevant structures in the data bank 12.

However, in addition, the operations data processor 12 20 interactively receives in step 43 via the graphical interface 31, the network interface 30 and the network 2 various other data such as general operations control data, tour of duty data etc. Such data is in two primary components, namely, data which changes quite seldom such 25 as specifications of tours of duty, the other type being day-to-day real-time data regarding the guards available for duty etc. The operations data processor 12 is constructed to monitor all of these types of data according to whether it is real-time data, historical 30 location and actual time data, or fixed data regarding for example tours of duty. The processor 10 operates using an object-oriented language. The data is converted in step 44 . One particularly advantageous way of retrieving data from the capture circuit 11 and using it for writing data to the data bank 12 is to monitor a print file which is generated for print output of the actual time and location data received from the patrol clock system. The steps of converting interactively received data and generating data records is indicated in steps 44 and. 45, and retrieval of location and time data from print control signals in step 46. On a continuous basis, the processor 10 generates processed data representing all of the different types of data which are stored and this is of particular use for the interface section 5. This may be regarded as roster data processing of step 47.

The graphical interface 31 of the section 5 operates in real-time in step 48 in communication with operators who direct security operations. In addition to receiving real-time data and transraitting this via the network 2 to the processor 10, the interface 31 automatically polls in step 49 the processor 10 for processed data which is of use to it in operations control. When a particular set of processed data is detected after a polling operation, this is routed through the network 2 and the network interface 30 to the graphical interface 31 in step 51 for output for real-time operations control. In addition, the report generator 32 uses the data for generation of operations control reports (step 51). The graphical nature of the interface is important as it allows simultaneous display of a large amount of data and instructions in a simple and effective manner.

At less frequent intervals, the operations data processor 10 retrieves various records from files on the data bank 12 and filters these records in step 53 to select datE. which is required for a compatible-format file to be transmitted on the network 2 in step 54 to the back-office processor 20. This file is in ASCII format and is routed to the back-office processor 20 which is constructed to monitor the sequence of bytes for retrieval of the data in a correct manner. The data is then written to the relevant database in step 55 where it is used for backoffice data processing generally.

It has been found that the combination of sections of the system 1 and the manner in which they are constructed provides an integrated system which is particularly suitable for operations control in a security firm. The various sections together provide for the processing of 10 real-time, historical and fixed data in a manner which provides very simple output control instruction with, a fast response time. These are very important features in providing for efficient management and profitability of a security firm.

The invention is not limited to the embodiments hereinbefore described, but may be varied in construction and detail.

Claims (5)

1. A security operations control system comprising:a bi-directional data network; an operations data processor connected to the network; a data capture device connected to the operations data processor; a bank of data storage devices connected to the operations data processor, the storage devices storing groups of files including guard, premises, tour duty and general data groups; means in the operations data processor for retrieving data files, reading data relating to locations and actual time, and generating processed operations control data; and an operations control interface connected to the network and having means for polling the operations processor via the network, for retrieving the processed data, and. for generating both graphical video screen interface control signals and printing control signals according to the processed data. A system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the operations control interface comprises means for receiving real-time data and also fixed data relating to tour duties, and wherein the operations data processor comprises means for receiving the real-time data and the fixed data

2. from the operations control interface, and historical data from the data capture device to which it is connected and generating data files for storage in the bank of storage devices. 5

3. A system as claimed in claims 1 or 2, wherein the system further comprises a magnetic patrol clock system having a plurality of hand-held patrol clocks and a portable non-volatile memory device, and wherein the data capture device connected to 10 operations data processor comprises means for reading data from the portable memory device to provide the historical data.

4. A system as claimed in any preceding claim further comprising a back-office data processor connected 15 to a database, and connected to the network for reception of data from the operations data processor, and preferably said operations data processor comprises means for filtering data files to write selected data to a compatible-format file 20 and wherein the back-office data processor comprises means for automatically monitoring the network and the operations data processor for the compatible-format file for updating its associated data bank. 25

5. A system substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to and as illustrated in the accompanying drawings.