Viscount Systems Awarded New Patent

  • Jan 14, 2015

Viscount Systems has been awarded its third U.S. patent for its Freedom Access Control solution, building on the technology’s already strong intellectual property foundation. U.S. Patent 8907763 B2 outlines the system and method for mustering individuals during an emergency using mobile devices.

Mustering, or accounting for individuals during an emergency, lockdown or evacuation, has traditionally required a manual roll call process or a hard-wired access control panel to help account for individuals, allowing them to use access cards to “report” their location. However, this presents problems for visitors and those without card access. Viscount’s Freedom application changes the way mustering is conducted, allowing organizations to place a QR code at central meeting places. Now, individuals can simply scan the code with a mobile device to account for their whereabouts and system administrators can access a remote, Web-based platform to ensure compliance. QR codes can be placed in a number of locations, providing an inexpensive, easy-to-deploy alternative to traditional hardwired card readers that require power and may be limited to a single location.

“This new patent marks a significant advance in how access control systems can provide value during an emergency,” said Dennis Raefield, president and CEO, Viscount Systems. “Using a unified physical/logical software application with the ability to utilize mobile devices to account for individuals enhances the way companies, schools and governments handle an emergency situation.”

On a school campus, for example, students with a smartphone can scan a QR code that automatically triggers an e-mail to parents letting them know their child is in the school’s safe zone.

“This innovation can mean the difference between life and death, and can allow for peace of mind for parents during an emergency,” Raefield said.

The software-centric Freedom Access Control solution eliminates the need for physical access control panels. Instead, IP encryption bridges receive messages from the software platform to trigger lockdowns, advise personnel locations and monitor doors. Freedom may be used for interfacing facility access with control, particularly for facilities or physical premises, such as buildings, homes, physical infrastructure and restricted areas within buildings.

Featured

  • Collaboration Made Easy Using a Work Management Platform

    Effective collaboration between security operators, teams and other departments is critical to the smooth functioning of organizations. Yet, as organizations grow in complexity, it becomes more difficult for teams to coordinate with each other. This is compounded by staffing shortages, turnover and ineffective collaboration tools. Read Now

  • Creating a Safer World

    Managing and supporting locks and door hardware within a facility is a big responsibility. A building’s security needs to change over time as occupancy and use demands evolve, which can make it even more challenging. Read Now

  • Creating More Versatility

    Today, AI has become top of mind for most security professionals. It is the topic of conversation in the technology world and continues to transform the way data is used to make important business decisions. Read Now

  • Report: 78 Percent of CISOs Seeing Significant Impact from AI-Powered Cyber Threats

    Darktrace recently unveiled its 2025 State of AI Cybersecurity report. The findings reveal that 78% of Chief Information Security Officers (CISOs) surveyed say that AI-powered threats are having a significant impact on their organizations, a 5% increase1 from 2024. While an increasing number of CISOs report feeling a significant impact from AI threats, more than 60% now say that they are adequately prepared to defend against these threats, an increase of nearly 15% year-over-year. However, insufficient AI knowledge and skills and a shortage of personnel and talent continue to be listed as the two top inhibitors to a successful defense. Read Now

Most   Popular

New Products

  • ComNet CNGE6FX2TX4PoE

    The ComNet cost-efficient CNGE6FX2TX4PoE is a six-port switch that offers four Gbps TX ports that support the IEEE802.3at standard and provide up to 30 watts of PoE to PDs. It also has a dedicated FX/TX combination port as well as a single FX SFP to act as an additional port or an uplink port, giving the user additional options in managing network traffic. The CNGE6FX2TX4PoE is designed for use in unconditioned environments and typically used in perimeter surveillance.

  • Luma x20

    Luma x20

    Snap One has announced its popular Luma x20 family of surveillance products now offers even greater security and privacy for home and business owners across the globe by giving them full control over integrators’ system access to view live and recorded video. According to Snap One Product Manager Derek Webb, the new “customer handoff” feature provides enhanced user control after initial installation, allowing the owners to have total privacy while also making it easy to reinstate integrator access when maintenance or assistance is required. This new feature is now available to all Luma x20 users globally. “The Luma x20 family of surveillance solutions provides excellent image and audio capture, and with the new customer handoff feature, it now offers absolute privacy for camera feeds and recordings,” Webb said. “With notifications and integrator access controlled through the powerful OvrC remote system management platform, it’s easy for integrators to give their clients full control of their footage and then to get temporary access from the client for any troubleshooting needs.”

  • Hanwha QNO-7012R

    Hanwha QNO-7012R

    The Q Series cameras are equipped with an Open Platform chipset for easy and seamless integration with third-party systems and solutions, and analog video output (CVBS) support for easy camera positioning during installation. A suite of on-board intelligent video analytics covers tampering, directional/virtual line detection, defocus detection, enter/exit, and motion detection.