LA GARD Smartpoint: Full Blown Access Control for the Safe

Controlling access has become more and more important in our security and liability conscious society. With the development of electro-mechanical and electrified door lock hardware, we can now control and monitor persons that have access into a specific locations within a facility, area or office complex.

In fact, the way that access can now be controlled has become much more personalized. Instead of a User Code and/or magnetic/proximity card, an individual’s form of identification can now include a part of his or her body, such as an individual’s unique characteristics of a finger, hand, eye, or even face. These biometric features cannot be easily replicated, unlike User Codes or even identification (magnetic/proximity) cards.

Why stop at the door? Why not continue this higher level of security with the next area of importance, the safe?

Safes have been around for a very long time. They have evolved from the mechanical key and dial operated units to electronically operated locks that resist manipulation and have the ability to delay and/or limit access to specific days and/or hours. To satisfy growing needs for privacy and security, safes are becoming larger with greater need for separate compartments.

Expanding upon the features of controlling access into a safe and the individual compartments, LA GARD has developed the SMARTPOINT, a battery or AC powered, biometric identifier system built into an electronic safe lock mechanism with audit capabilities. The LA GARD SMARTPOINT controls access for up to five wired electronic safe lock mechanisms. These include the LA GARD Dual Handed Springbolt Lock, the Deadbolt Lock, the Springbolt Lock and the Redundant Mechanical Lock (RML). The RML provides a completely redundant opening mechanism, one electronically controlled and the other mechanically controlled.

Each of these lock types is equipped with an audit log recorder for the last 500 events. The log includes time, date, user and definition of the activity.

Individual lock’s audit logs only record those events that affect the operation of the lock itself. Each lock’s audit log will not record events such as programming the SMARTPOINT or any other entry that does not operate the specific lock.

The SMARTPOINT logic module records the last 1,000 events and functions performed regardless of lock’s address, which is usually located on the outer door of the safe. The audit logs can be scrolled through using the backlit LED on the front of the logic module.

The SMARTPOINT logic module contains the keypad, LED, and the FingerPoint Technology™ Reader. The keypad is used to program the system and the codes. The biometric unit contains a Light Emitting Sensor (LES)- equipped reader designed to read a fingerprint image when a “live” finger is placed onto the Teflon coated sensor. The sensor of the LES reader is not porous and can be cleaned using a mild cleaner. Contact LA GARD for specifics.

To create the image, all of the finger’s characteristics play a part. The physical finger and the body’s blood flow create electromagnetic radiation. When bombarded by particles from the FingerPoint Technology Reader, radiation fluoresces to create a three-dimensional image of the finger’s surface that is contacting the sensor. The image is recorded, then interpolated using the proprietary algorithm to determine the desired identifiers. The identifiers can include the depths and angles of the whorls, ridges, etc. Each finger’s interpolation is considered unique and entered into a database from which future finger images will be compared. The SMARTPOINT system requires no more than three scans per finger to extract all of the necessary data. The SMARTPOINT prompts for two fingers in order to enroll a person. The reason for multiple fingers is in case of a cut or injury, you have a back-up. A third finger image can be entered into the system for a duress situation.