Intruder, theft and vandalism deterrent management system for controlling a parking area

• US 20030075287A1
• Filed: 11/25/2002
• Published: 04/24/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 08/24/2000
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Smartdoor Holdings Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Martin Herman Iii Weik
• Inventors: Weik, Martin Herman III
• Granted Patent: US 6,945,303 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 160/133
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2325/205 Mobile phones
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 25/00 Fittings or systems for preventing or indicating unauthorised use or theft of vehicles locks for vehicles E05B77/00-E05B85/00
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 25/102 a signal being sent to a remote location, e.g. a radio signal being transmitted to a police station, a security company or the owner
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 25/305 using a camera
• CPC Class Codes: E05F 1/006 by emergency conditions, e.g. fire operating or controlling mechanisms for physical fire-barriers A62C2/24
• CPC Class Codes: E05F 1/02 gravity-actuated , e.g. by use of counterweights
• CPC Class Codes: E05F 15/00 Power-operated mechanisms for wings motor-operated accessories in locks for completing closing or initiating opening of a wing E05B17/00
• CPC Class Codes: E05F 15/72 responsive to emergency conditions, e.g. fire
• CPC Class Codes: E05F 15/75 responsive to the weight or other physical contact of a person or object
• CPC Class Codes: E05Y 2201/41 for closing
• CPC Class Codes: E05Y 2201/50 Weights
• CPC Class Codes: E05Y 2400/59 Travel display
• CPC Class Codes: E05Y 2400/616 Generators
• CPC Class Codes: E05Y 2400/814 Sound emitters, e.g. speakers
• CPC Class Codes: E05Y 2400/822 Light emitters, e.g. LEDs
• CPC Class Codes: E05Y 2800/00 Details, accessories and auxiliary operations not otherwise provided for
• CPC Class Codes: E05Y 2800/424 against unintended use
• CPC Class Codes: E05Y 2900/00 Application of doors, windows, wings or fittings thereof
• CPC Class Codes: E05Y 2900/106 for garages
• CPC Class Codes: E05Y 2900/134 Fire doors
• CPC Class Codes: E06B 9/70 : comprising an electric motor positioned outside the roller
• CPC Class Codes: E06B 9/82 : automatic
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 19/0428 : Safety, monitoring G05B19/0423 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/24145 : Test for collision of actuated devices, articles, if interference inihibit entry
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/2628 : Door, window
• CPC Class Codes: G07B 15/02 : taking into account a variable factor such as distance or time, e.g. for passenger transport, parking systems or car rental systems G07B15/06 takes precedence; taximeters G07B13/00; parking meters per se G07F17/24; car rental systems per se G07B15/00
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/14 : indicating individual free spaces in parking areas

Abstract

A parking area control and management system employs a card reader, which reads identification information from a card commonly carried by a person, such as a driver'"'"'s license or credit card. A record is made of the identification information upon entrance of a vehicle into the parking area. The person may subsequently leave the parking area on foot and regain entry to the parking area by presenting the same card. Later, the same card is used to exit the parking area, via the vehicle, and to validate that the same person is leaving with the vehicle. The parking area control and management system also includes sensors, such as loop detectors and electric eyes, to determine if a second vehicle or a pedestrian follows behind a vehicle entering into, or exiting from, the parking area. The parking area control and management system can be used to manage existing loop detectors and electric eyes, that normally control door and gate safety access systems, and to integrate those devices into an alarm system, such that an alert is issued whenever an abnormal or unauthorized event occurs during operations.

Claims

1. A parking area management system comprising:

a first customer terminal to be disposed proximate a vehicle entrance of a parking area, said first customer terminal including a first card reader for reading identification information from a driver'"'"'s license or credit card;

a second customer terminal to be disposed proximate a vehicle exit of the parking area, said second customer terminal including a second card reader for reading identification information from a driver'"'"'s license or credit card; and

a control system communicatively connected to said first customer terminal and said second customer terminal, wherein said control system stores identification information received from said first card reader in a memory, and wherein said control system outputs a first control signal for actuating a barrier associated with the vehicle exit of the parking area, when identification information received from said second card reader corresponds to identification information stored in said memory.

2. The parking area management system according to claim 1, further comprising:

a third customer terminal to be disposed proximate a pedestrian entrance to the parking area, said third customer terminal including a third card reader for reading identification information from a driver'"'"'s license or credit card, wherein said control system is also communicatively connected to said third customer terminal, and wherein said control system outputs an open signal for unlocking a lock or locks associated with one or more barriers blocking the pedestrian entrance, when identification information received from said third card reader corresponds to identification information stored in said memory.

3. The parking area management system according to claim 1, wherein said control system outputs an alert signal for alerting an attendant, when identification information received from said second card reader does not correspond to identification information stored in said memory.

4. The parking area management system according to claim 3, further comprising:

a video camera to be disposed proximate said second customer terminal, wherein said control system is also communicatively connected to said video camera, and wherein said control system stores a video image of a person by said second customer terminal whenever the alert signal is generated, or any non-normal activity occurs.

5. The parking area management system according to claim 1, wherein after said control system determines that identification information received from said second card reader corresponds to identification information stored in said memory, said control system flags the corresponding identification information stored in said memory for later erasure.

6. The parking area management system according to claim 1, further comprising:

a timer associated with said control system, wherein said control system sends a charge signal, indicating a charge due for the parking service, to said second customer terminal based upon a time interval defined between when said first card reader receives identification information and when said second card reader receives the same identification information.

7. The parking area management system according to claim 1, further comprising:

a presence detector to be disposed proximate the entrance of the parking area, wherein said control system is also communicatively connected to said presence detector, wherein said control system analyzes an output of said presence detector to determine if a pedestrian or another vehicle has followed behind an entering vehicle into the parking area.

8. The parking area management system according to claim 7, further comprising:

a video camera to be disposed proximate the entrance of the parking area, wherein said control system is also communicatively connected to said video camera, wherein a video image or images of the entrance are taken as a vehicle enters the parking area and the video images are stored whenever said control system determines that a pedestrian or another vehicle has followed behind an entering vehicle into the parking area.

23. The parking area management system according to claim 7, wherein said presence detector is an electric eye system.

9. A parking area and management system comprising:

a first barrier disposed at a vehicle entrance to said parking area;

a first customer terminal disposed proximate said vehicle entrance of said parking area, said first customer terminal including a first card reader for reading identification information from a driver'"'"'s license or credit card;

a second barrier disposed at a vehicle exit from said parking area;

a second customer terminal disposed proximate said vehicle exit of said parking area, said second customer terminal including a second card reader for reading identification information from a driver'"'"'s license or credit card; and

a control system communicatively connected to said first customer terminal and said second customer terminal, wherein said control system stores identification information received from said first card reader in a memory and outputs a first control signal for opening said first barrier after the identification information is received from said first card reader, and wherein said control system outputs a second control signal for opening said second barrier, when identification information received from said second card reader corresponds to identification information stored in said memory.

10. The parking area and management system according to claim 9, wherein said first barrier and said second barrier are garage doors, swing gates or slide gates.

11. A method of controlling entrance to, and exit from, a parking area, said method comprising the steps of:

providing a first barrier for a vehicle entrance to the parking area, with a first card reader proximate the first barrier;

providing a second barrier for a vehicle exit from the parking area, with a second card reader proximate the second barrier;

reading information from a card presented to the first card reader;

recording the information read by the first card reader as a record in a record file;

opening the first barrier to allow entrance of a vehicle or person into the parking area;

reading information from a card presented to the second card reader; and

comparing the information read by the second card reader to records in the record file, and based upon the comparison, opening the second barrier to allow exiting of a vehicle or person from the parking area or issuing an alert signal.

12. The method according to claim 11, wherein the cards presented to the first and second card readers are driver'"'"'s licenses.

13. The method according to claim 12, wherein the information read from the cards is taken from a bar code or magnetic strip provided on the driver'"'"'s licenses.

14. The method according to claim 11, wherein the cards presented to the first and second card readers are credit cards.

15. The method according to claim 14, wherein the information read from the cards is taken from a bar code, magnetic strip or raised indicia provided on the credit cards.

16. The method according to claim 11, further comprising the steps of:

providing a third barrier for foot traffic entrance to, or exit from, the parking area, with a third card reader adjacent to the third barrier;

reading information from a card presented to the third card reader; and

comparing the information read by the third card reader to records in the record file, and based upon the comparison unlocking the third barrier to allow entrance to, or exit from, the parking area.

24. The method according to claim 16, further comprising the steps of:

providing a fourth barrier for foot traffic, the fourth barrier being located inside the parking area; and

based upon said comparing step, unlocking the fourth barrier to allow a person access to a path leading to a designated portion of the parking area.

17. A parking area management system comprising:

a first barrier disposed at a vehicle or pedestrian entrance to a parking area;

a first customer terminal proximate the vehicle or pedestrian entrance of the parking area;

a first loop detector proximate the vehicle or pedestrian entrance of the parking area;

a first electric eye proximate the vehicle or pedestrian entrance of the parking area;

a control system communicatively connected to said first customer terminal, wherein said control system receives an input from said first customer terminal and if the input meets predetermined criteria the input is deemed a valid input and said control system sends an open signal to said first barrier, and wherein said control system monitors said first loop detector and said first electric eye, and if said first loop detector is triggered only once and said first electric eye is triggered only once, said control system determines that a normal vehicle entry into the parking area occurred, otherwise, said control system determines that an abnormal vehicle entry occurred and a log of the event is stored.

18. The parking area management system according to claim 17, further comprising:

a camera mounted to observe the vehicle entrance to the parking area.

19. The parking area management system according to claim 18, wherein an image or sequence of images of the vehicle entrance to the parking area are stored as part of the event log, if said control system determines that the abnormal vehicle entry into the parking area occurred.

20. The parking area management system according to claim 17, further comprising:

a second loop detector proximate the vehicle entrance of the parking area, wherein said control system evaluates the sequence of activation of said first and second loop detectors to determine a direction of movement of a vehicle into or out of the vehicle entrance of the parking area.

21. The parking area management system according to claim 17, further comprising:

a second electric eye proximate the entrance of the parking area, wherein said control system evaluates the sequence of activation of said first and second loop detectors and said first and second electric eyes to determine a direction of movement of a vehicle or a pedestrian into or out of the vehicle entrance of the parking area.

22. The parking area and management system according to claim 17, wherein said first customer terminal includes a card reader for reading identifying information from a driver'"'"'s license or credit card.

25. The parking area and management system according to claim 17, wherein said first customer terminal includes a card reader for reading identifying information from a magnetic strip or barcode of a card.