Patent ID: 7735728

Claim:
A system comprising at least one access control device providing access into a controlled area including an access authorization reader for reading a data carrier containing access authorization and identification data, and a database for storing the identification data from the data carrier in question, the access control device including a camera activatable by the reading of the data carrier or by sensors detecting forward movement of the user for taking an initial digitized image of the user of the data carrier upon an initial access into a controlled area that is permitted regardless of the digitized image, and for storing the image in the database along with the identification data for the data carrier, and at least one terminal with a display screen, to which the stored image of the user of the relevant data carrier taken by the camera of the one access control device is transferred for visual comparison with a subsequent image taken by the camera of the at least one access control device during a subsequent access into said controlled area, wherein the subsequent access includes reading of said data carrier and the subsequent image taking, and wherein the user of the particular data carrier is denied further access into the controlled area if the user images do not match, and wherein the initial access into the controlled area is permitted even when the initial image taken does not match an image of the user previously stored in the database before the initial access attempt.