Multimodal concierge for secure and convenient access to a home or building

#The present invention relates generally to a resource security system, and more particularly, to an improved automated enrollment process for a resource security system.

#Door access systems allow authorized persons to gain access to an apartment complex, a home, or a secure area of a building. Such access is traditionally achieved via a key, a magnetic card, a personal identification number, or an intercom call to a person already in the building. Many of these methods present security flaws and inconveniences to either the users or the building manager. For instance, keys and magnetic cards can be lost, forgotten, stolen or illegally duplicated, while PIN numbers can be easily forgotten, annoying to enter on a keypad and/or spied upon by bystanders.

#More recently, door access systems have been developed that grant access based on a biometric feature associated with the person requesting access. However, such systems have typically not employed a user-friendly means for enrolling new users. In addition, such system have not provided access to administrative functions associated with the system. Therefore, it is desirable to provide a resource security access system which addresses these and other shortcomings of the conventional technology.

#FIG. 1 is a block diagram depicting an exemplary resource security system in accordance with the present invention;

#FIG. 2 is a flowchart illustrating an improved method for enrolling a system user with the resource security system in accordance with the present invention;

#FIG. 3 is a flowchart illustrating an exemplary verification process which may be implemented by the resource security system; and

#FIG. 1 illustrates an exemplary resource security system 10 in accordance with the present invention. The resource security system 10 is generally comprised of a user interface 12, an enrollment manager 20, an access manager 22, a biometric input device 24 and a biometric data store 26. The user interface 12 is further defined to include at least one input device 14 and at least one output 16. In one embodiment, the input device 14 is a keypad and the output device is a speaker. However, it is envisioned that other types of input and/or output devices, such as a microphone, a keyboard, a touch screen, a magnetic card reader, an LCD display, a fingerprint sensor, or a camera, are within the scope of the present invention.

#In operation, the resource security system 10 controls access to a secure resource, such as a secure area of a building. For illustration purposes, the access manager 22 is shown controlling access to a door 30 residing in the building. Specifically, the access manager 22 is connected to an actuator 32 which is in turn operatively connected to one or more locks 34 associated with the door 30. While the following description is provided with reference to controlling access to a door, it is readily understood that the broader aspects of the present invention are applicable to other types of secure resources.

#In accordance with the present invention, an improved method is provided for enrolling a user with the resource security system 10. Referring to FIG. 2, the user is initially provided at step 42 with an access code to the resource security system 10. The access code is preferably an alphanumeric password which may be input using the input device 14 of the system. In one embodiment, the access code is a unique identifier which has been previously associated with the user. Alternatively, the access code may be a generic identifier that is provided to more than one system subscriber. In either case, the access code is used at step 44 to gain access to the enrollment manager 20 of the resource security system. It is understood that access to the system is contingent upon the access code being verified against a list of approved access codes.