Access control system with sliding door with a gesture control function

Method for operating a system for controlling access to a restricted area in a building, wherein the system comprises a sliding door system which comprises a door frame and a sliding door which can be displaced in the door frame between a closed position and an open position by means of a drive unit, wherein the door frame has a passage region and a wall shell region which at least partially accommodates the sliding door in the open position, and wherein the sliding door has an end face which points toward the passage region in the open position, a controller which comprises a processor unit and a sensor unit, wherein the sensor unit is arranged on the end face of the sliding door and wherein the processor unit is arranged in an inner space of the sliding door and electrically connected to the sensor unit and the drive unit, and a recognition device which is arranged on the sliding door system or in a vicinity thereof and is communicatively connected to the controller, wherein the recognition device is designed to capture and check credentials presented by a user, wherein the controller is operable to determine a record in a storage device if the credentials are valid for the user, the record including a stored opening width of the sliding door for the user, in order to trigger the movement of the sliding door according to the stored opening width, and wherein the controller is operable to recognize a gesture made by the user and to trigger a movement of the sliding door depending on said gesture which is different from the stored opening width, the method comprising:

• capturing and checking credentials presented by the user using the recognition device;
• if the credentials are valid for the user, the recognition device determining the corresponding record which includes the stored opening width of the sliding door of the sliding door system for the user;
• actuating the drive unit of the sliding door system, using the controller, in order to move the sliding door from a substantially closed position to an open position according to the opening width;
• activating the sensor unit arranged on the end face, using the processor unit of the controller, wherein the sensor unit is designed to recognize the gesture made by the user and to actuate the sliding door depending on said gesture to open the sliding door to a width different from the stored opening width.