Method For Automatically Ascertaining the Number of People and/or Objects Present in a Gate

• US 20080308322A1
• Filed: 08/01/2006
• Published: 12/18/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 08/01/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Scheidt & Bachmann GmbH
• Original Assignee: Scheidt & Bachmann GmbH
• Inventors: Augustyniak, Matthias, Horkens, Oliver
• Granted Patent: US 7,893,811 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 177/1
• CPC Class Codes: E05G 5/003 Entrance control E05G5/02 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 9/15 with arrangements to prevent the passage of more than one individual at a time

Abstract

Method for automatically ascertaining the number of people and/or objects present in a gate (10; 50; 70) which has the following steps: detection of weight data for people and/or objects moving in the gate (10; 50; 70) by means of a plurality of weight sensors (18, 20, 22, 24) integrated in the floor of the gate (10; 50; 70) and evaluation of the detected weight data in order to ascertain the number of people/objects from their maximum values and from their dynamics and/or the number of detected centres of gravity and/or the position of the weight sensors (18, 20, 22, 24) which have detected the weight data, and/or the order in which the weight sensors (18, 20, 22, 24) have detected the weight data.

Claims

1. Method for automatically ascertaining the number of people and/or objects present in a gate which has the following steps:

detection of weight data for the people and/or objects moving in the gate by means of a plurality of weight sensors integrated in the floor of the gate and

evaluation of the detected weight data in order to ascertain the number of people/objects from their maximum values and/or from their dynamics and/or the number of detected centres of gravity and/or the position of the weight sensors which have detected the weight data, and/or the order in which the weight sensors have detected the weight data.

2. Method according to claim 1, in which in addition to the weight sensors further sensors for the detection of the number of people/objects are used.

3. Method according to claim 1, wherein the automatic opening and closing of a door present in the gate is controlled on the basis of the detected weight data and/or the data from further sensors.

4. Method according to claim 1, wherein the counting of the number of persons or objects passing the gate is performed on the basis of the detected weight data and/or the data from further sensors.

5. Gate, including weight sensors integrated in a floor area of the gate and a weight data evaluation unit which is configured in such a way that the number and/or position of persons and/or objects present in the gate can be determined automatically through evaluating weight data which have been detected by means of the weight sensors from their maximum values, absolute values and/or the dynamics of these measuring values and/or from the number of the detected centres of gravity and/or the position of the weight sensors which have detected the weight data and/or the order in which the weight sensors have detected the weight data.

6. Gate according to claim 5, including additional sensors for detecting the number of persons/objects and/or the position.