Patent Publication Number: US-6992589-B2

Title: System and method for employee notification and evidence gathering during a robbery

Description:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
   The present invention relates generally to security systems. More specifically, the present invention relates to security systems within banks or other financial institutions. 
   DESCRIPTION OF RELATED BACKGROUND ART 
   According to FBI statistics, bank robberies have increased thirty percent over the past two years—from 6,564 in 1999 to 8,494 in 2001—despite the fact that crime statistics in most other categories have dropped during the same period. The Los Angeles area, alone, has witnessed over 11,000 bank robberies in the last ten years. One possible explanation for the rise is that bank robbery is comparatively profitable, with an average loss of $4,552 per bank, as opposed to $620 for a convenience store. 
   Despite the dramatic portrayal of bank robberies in the media, the goal of most bank robbers is to avoid attention. Typically, a robber claims to be concealing a weapon in a bag or purse and demands money from a single bank employee, such as a teller or cashier. Hence, other employees do not even realize that the bank has been robbed until after the perpetrator has fled the scene. 
   Unfortunately, this means that most bank employees cannot provide helpful descriptions of the perpetrator to law enforcement. Even the teller who was robbed will often have difficulty remembering specific details, e.g., height, build, hair color, distinguishing marks, etc., due to the stress of the encounter. 
   Ironically, even if the teller trips a silent alarm, the police may never be summoned. In common practice, a security monitoring company will first place a telephone call to the bank and ask whether a robbery is in progress. If no one other than the teller is aware of the robbery, other bank employees will often assume that it was a false alarm and respond in the negative. Thus, many bank robbers are completely successful in their attempts, and may continue to rob other banks in an area with little fear of being caught. 

   
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
     Non-exhaustive embodiments of the invention are described with reference to the figures, in which: 
       FIG. 1  is a floor plan of a bank or other financial institution; 
       FIG. 2  is a schematic block diagram of a system for employee notification and evidence gathering during a robbery; 
       FIG. 3  is a schematic block diagram of an employee computer terminal; 
       FIG. 4  is a schematic illustration of a user interface for notifying an employee of a robbery and receiving employee observations; 
       FIG. 5  is a schematic illustration of a process of gathering evidence from several employee terminals; and 
       FIG. 6  is a flowchart of a method for employee notification and evidence gathering during a robbery. 
   

   DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
   Reference is now made to the figures in which like reference numerals refer to like elements. For clarity, the first digit of a reference numeral indicates the figure number in which the corresponding element is first used. 
   In the following description, numerous specific details of programming, software modules, user selections, network transactions, database queries, database structures, etc., are provided for a thorough understanding of the embodiments of the invention. However, those skilled in the art will recognize that the invention can be practiced without one or more of the specific details, or with other methods, components, materials, etc. 
   In some cases, well-known structures, materials, or operations are not shown or described in detail in order to avoid obscuring aspects of the invention. Furthermore, the described features, structures, or characteristics may be combined in any suitable manner in one or more embodiments. 
     FIG. 1  is a floor plan of a bank or other financial institution, although the principles disclosed herein could be applied to different enterprises, such as casinos. As illustrated, a bank will typically have a number of teller stations  102 , each of which may include a computer terminal  104 , a cash drawer  106 , and a silent alarm actuator  108 . 
   A typical cash drawer  106  will store $2,000. However, tellers generally have access to as much as $10,000 from a small safe (not shown) in their immediate vicinity. Depending on the level of deposits, the time of day, etc., the amount of cash available to a teller could exceed $20,000. 
   Tellers are trained to use the actuator  108  to trip the bank&#39;s silent alarm when confronted by a robber. The silent alarm actuator  108  may be embodied as a button or switch, as shown, but may also be implemented as a clip or other mechanism within the cash drawer  106  that is activated by the removal of cash from a pre-determined location (e.g., bin). 
   Computer terminals  104  are also provided for other bank employees, such as loan officers, banker assistants, mortgage consultants, commercial lenders, accountants, branch managers, and the like. Certain employees, such as branch managers, may have separate offices  110  adjacent to the bank lobby. 
   All banks and other financial institutions have electronic security systems, which typically include a number of closed-circuit television (CCTV) cameras  112 , silent alarm actuators  108 , etc., all of which are coupled to a security control box  114 . The security control box  114  is often located in a secure room  116  that may also house a computer server  118  for the bank and/or other critical electronic equipment. 
   As previously noted, the number of bank robberies has increased in recent years. However, with all of the potential witnesses in a bank, e.g., tellers, loan officers, branch managers, patrons, etc., it should be relatively easy to assist law enforcement agencies in identifying and prosecuting bank robbers. Nevertheless, for the reasons discussed above, neither the particular teller being robbed nor other employees of a bank are able to provide helpful descriptions of the perpetrator. The teller may be too stressed by the robbery to remember accurate details, while other employees and bank patrons may not even be aware that a robbery is taking place. 
     FIG. 2  is a schematic block diagram of a system  200  for employee notification and evidence gathering during a robbery. As shown, a security control box  114  is electrically coupled to a silent alarm actuator  108 , which may be located at or near a teller station  102  shown in  FIG. 1 . The security control box  114  may be embodied as any of a number of standard control boxes  114  available from the ADEMCO Group of Syosset, N.Y., although equipment from other security system manufacturers may be used. 
   In one embodiment, the security control box  114  is directly or indirectly coupled to a computer server  118 , which may be the bank&#39;s primary server or a computer specifically designated for security operations. As noted, such servers  118  are typically housed in a secure room  116  protected by various types of physical and electronic security. The server  118  may be embodied as any of a number of commercially-available computer servers. 
   In the depicted embodiment, the server  118  includes a security interface  202  for providing a communication link to the security control box  114 . The security interface  202  may conform to various standard interfaces, e.g., RS-232, IEEE-448, IEEE-1394, Universal Serial Bus (USB), Ethernet, etc., based on the capabilities of the particular control box  114 . 
   As shown, the server  118  also includes a Central Processing Unit (CPU)  204 , such as an Intel™ x86 processor, for executing program instructions stored in a memory  206 . The memory  206  may include various combinations of Random Access Memory (RAM) and Read Only Memory (ROM). As described in greater detail below, the memory  206  may store various software modules, such as a security monitor  208  and an alert generator  210 . In various embodiments, these modules may be implemented using hardware or combinations of hardware and software. 
   The server  118  also includes a hard drive  212  for storing software modules and data, as well as an operating system (OS) for the server  118 , such as Windows NT Server™ or Linux™. The hard drive  212  may or may not be used to store the bank&#39;s financial information. 
   In addition, the server  118  includes a network interface  214  for communicating with a number of employee terminals  104  through a Local Area Network (LAN)  216 . The network interface  214  may be embodied, for instance, as a standard Ethernet adapter, although other network interfaces  214  are contemplated. All of the above-described components of the server  118 , including the network interface  214 , may be interconnected via a bus  215 . 
   In certain configurations, the LAN  216  may be coupled to a Wide Area Network (WAN)  218  for communicating with terminals  104  at remote branches or locations. As illustrated, certain employee terminals  104  may be embodied as wireless devices, such as Personal Digital Assistants (PDAs), which may be likewise accessible via the LAN  216  or WAN  218 . 
   In operation, a teller, cashier, or other employee uses the silent alarm actuator  108  to trip the silent alarm during a robbery. In one embodiment, the security control box  114  notes which teller tripped the silent alarm based on the location (e.g., teller station  102 ) of the actuator  108 . 
   In one configuration, the security monitor  208  within the server  118  continuously monitors the security control box  114  for an indication of a robbery. When an indication is received, the alert generator  210  generates and sends an alert  220  to each of the employee terminals  104  connected to the LAN  216 . 
   An alert  220  may be implemented in various ways, all of which are considered to be within the scope of the invention. For instance, an alert  220  may be embodied as a special User Datagram Protocol (UDP) packet in one embodiment. In other implementations, an alert  220  may be embodied as an e-mail message, Internet Protocol (IP) packet, or other type of notification received via the LAN  216 . The precise format of the alert  220  is not relevant. Furthermore, different types of alerts  220  may be sent to different employee terminals  104  in one embodiment. 
   As described in greater detail below, when an alert  220  is received, an employee terminal  104  displays a notification  222  of the robbery to the employee. The notification  222  may be displayed in various contexts, such as a pop-up window or a ticker. 
   In one embodiment, the notification  222  preempts (e.g., takes the place of, displaces, interrupts) what is currently being displayed by the computer terminal  104 . For example, if an employee is currently editing a document in a word processor, the notification  222  may obscure a portion of the document. This is in contrast, for example, to the employee receiving an e-mail message through a standard e-mail client, such as Microsoft Outlook™. In that case, the user would be notified of an incoming e-mail message and still need to use the client to read the message. Employees often do not read e-mail messages as they are received. 
   The notification  222  may indicate which teller is being robbed. This allows an employee receiving the notification  222  to carefully observe the individual currently with that teller, increasing the likelihood of obtaining helpful descriptions. In addition, knowing which teller is being robbed may help other employees from becoming inadvertently entangled in the robbery, risking death or serious injury. 
   In one embodiment, an employee is prevented from removing the notification  222  until after the robbery is over. The notification  222  may be automatically removed by the employee terminal  104  in response to an “all clear” message (not shown) received from the server  118 . 
     FIG. 3  is a more detailed schematic block diagram of an employee terminal  104 , which may be embodied as a standard PC-compatible computer. As illustrated, the employee terminal  104  includes a CPU  302 , hard drive  304 , and network interface  306 , similar to the components found in the server  118 . 
   In addition, the employee terminal  104  includes a display interface  308  for displaying text and graphics, including the notification  222 , on a monitor  310 . Likewise, the employee terminal  104  includes an input interface  312  for receiving user input from a keyboard  314  and/or mouse  316 . 
   In certain configurations, the employee terminal  104  may include an audio adapter  318  capable of receiving and recording an employees voice via a microphone  319 . The microphone  319  may be integrated with or attached to the computer terminal  104  or monitor  310 . 
   The employee terminal  104  also includes a memory  320  for storing program code and data. The memory  320  may store, in one embodiment, a number of software modules, including an alert detector  322 , a notification agent  324 , an observation recorder  326  (which may include or be associated with a text entry module  328  and voice recording module  330 ), and an instruction module  332 . As before, any of the above-identified modules may be implemented in hardware. Also, as in the case of the server  118 , each of the above-identified components may be interconnected via a bus  334 . 
   In operation, the alert detector  322  senses the receipt of an alert  220  (e.g., UDP packet, e-mail message, etc.) from the server  118 . Thereafter, the alert detector  322  signals the notification agent  324  to preemptively display the notification  222  on the monitor  310 . As shown in  FIG. 4 , the notification  222  may include an indication of the particular employee being robbed (which may be included with the alert  220 ) as well as the time at which the notification  222  was displayed. 
   In one embodiment, the observation recorder  326  prompts an employee to enter one or more contemporaneous observations during the robbery, e.g., descriptions of the robber, accomplices, getaway vehicle, etc. Human memory loses many details within a few minutes. Moreover, stressful situations can interfere with recall. Hence, it is desirable to provide a mechanism for immediately recording any such observations for later use in identifying and prosecuting the perpetrator(s). 
   As illustrated in  FIG. 4 , a text entry module  328  associated with the observation recorder  326  may display a text entry box  402  in which an employee may type his or her observations. The text entry box  402  may be displayed adjacent to, within, or in close proximity to the notification  222 . The observations may be stored within the employee terminal  104  until needed, at which time they can be retrieved as described below in connection with  FIG. 5 . Automatically providing an employee with a mechanism for entering observations is beneficial in that an employee need not fumble for a pencil and paper, remember to open a word processing window, etc. 
   Alternatively, or in addition, a voice recording module  330  associated with the observation recorder  326  may display a voice recording control  404  on the monitor  310 . When activated, the voice recording control  404  causes the audio adapter  318  to begin recording the employees voice via the microphone  319 . Such a control  404  may be more appropriately used by a branch manager or other employee having a separate office  110 . In many cases, such offices  110  have glass walls, permitting the branch manager to observe the robber but not be overheard while recording vocal observations. 
   In certain instances, the voice recording feature can be used to record the voice of the robber. For example, a nearby teller could activate the voice recorder control  404  to record the robber&#39;s voice, while typing a physical description of the robber into the text entry box  402 . 
   In one embodiment, the instruction module  332  displays a set of instructions  406  for the receiving employee to carry out during the robbery. The instructions  406  may comprise standard bank policies and procedures for the situation. For example, the employee may be instructed to stay at his or her terminal  104 , be calm, and be observant. In addition, the employee may be reminded to notice certain details about the robber, e.g., distinguishing marks or features. The instructions  406  may be received with the alert  220  or may be stored locally within the employee terminal  104 . 
   Since the notification  222  introduces a new dynamic to the robbery—other employees are aware of the robbery—it is important that the employees take no action that would endanger the life of the teller being robbed or otherwise escalate the situation. The instructions  406  provide a mechanism for reinforcing the employees&#39; training in this regard and may save lives. 
   In certain configurations, the instructions  406  may be specific to the particular employee receiving them. For example, the instructions  406  given to the branch manager may differ from the instructions  406  given to one of the tellers. Where the instructions  406  are received with the alert  220 , the alert generator  210  may send the personalized instructions  406  to each employee. Alternatively, different employee terminals  104  may store different sets of instructions  406 , depending on the employee. 
   The notification  222 , text box  402 , and/or instructions  406  may be displayed together in a notification interface  408  on the monitor  310 . As previously mentioned, the display of the notification interface  408  may be preemptive in that it may overwrite a portion of the text and graphics being previously displayed. In one configuration, the notification interface  408  may not be removed (the employee may be prevented from removing the interface  408 ) during the robbery., In one embodiment, this is done by disabling the “close” button from a window including the notification interface  408  (assuming a Microsoft Windows™ or similar environment). The interface  408  may remain on the monitor  310  for a predetermined time period or until an “all clear” message is received from the server  118 , after which it may be removed. 
     FIG. 5  is a schematic illustration of a process of gathering evidence after a robbery. As shown, various computer terminals  104  may have recorded employee observations  502 . These observations  502  may be sent to or retrieved by an evidence compiler  504  within the server  118  using standard push/pull techniques. The evidence compiler  504  may be embodied as a software module resident within the server&#39;s memory  206 . 
   The observations  502  are then stored within the server  118  (e.g., the server&#39;s hard drive  212 ), along with an indication of the employee or employee terminal  104  from which the observations  502  were received. Such observations would be highly valuable to law enforcement agencies since they were obtained contemporaneously with the robbery and may provide detailed descriptions of the robber from many different perspectives or vantage points. 
     FIG. 6  is a flowchart of a method  600  for employee notification and evidence gathering during a robbery. Initially, a security monitor  208  within a server  118  receives  602  an indication of a robbery from a security system control box  114 . Thereafter, an alert generator  210  generates and sends  604  an alert  220  to each of a number of employee terminals  104  connected to the server  118  via a LAN  216 . 
   An employee terminal  104  then receives  606  the alert  220 , after which a notification agent  324  preemptively displays a notification  222  of the robbery on a computer monitor  310 . In certain embodiments, an instruction module  332  displays  610  a set of instructions  406  for the receiving employee to carry out during the robbery. The instructions  406  may or may not be specific to the particular employee. 
   In one embodiment, an observation recorder  326  prompts for and records  612  any employee observations  502  during the robbery. Written and/or oral observations may be received by the text entry module  328  and/or voice recording modules  330 , respectively. After the robbery, the evidence compiler  504  within the server  118  may retrieve  614  any recorded observations  502  from the employee terminals  104  and store the same for use by law enforcement. 
   While specific embodiments and applications of the present invention have been illustrated and described, it is to be understood that the invention is not limited to the precise configuration and components disclosed herein. Various modifications, changes, and variations apparent to those skilled in the art may be made in the arrangement, operation, and details of the methods and systems of the present invention disclosed herein without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention.