Gate entry system using short range radio communications with user terminal devices

• US 6,940,406 B2
• Filed: 03/22/2004
• Issued: 09/06/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 03/30/2001
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba (Toshiba Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba (Toshiba Corporation)
• Inventors: Sata, Yutaka
• Primary Examiner(s): Hofsass, Jeffery
• Assistant Examiner(s): PHAM, LAM P
• Application Number:
  US10/805,236
• Publication Number:
  US 20040174263A1
• Time in Patent Office: 533 Days
• Field of Search: 340/5.1, 340/5.2, 340/5.7, 340/5.72, 340/539.11, 340/928, 340/10.41, 235380-384, 705/13
• US Class Current: 340/552
• CPC Class Codes: G07B 15/00 Arrangements or apparatus for collecting fares, tolls or entrance fees at one or more control points handling coins or valuable papers, e.g. banknotes, G07D; apparatus for vending or hiring articles or services activated by coins, credit cards, paper currency or the like G07F7/00, G07F17/00
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 9/00 Individual registration on entry or exit
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 9/10 Movable barriers with registering means

Abstract

A gate entry system for regulating passages of passengers is formed by a wall unit for forming a passageway that is extended along a passing direction of the passengers, a gate unit provided at an exit side of the passageway, which is capable of being opened or closed to regulate the passages of the passengers, human sensors for sensing the passengers in the passageway, a radio communication unit for detecting a number of passengers entering into the passageway according to outputs of the human sensors, and carrying out transmission/reception of data with respect to at least one terminal device of one passenger, and a control unit for controlling opening or closing of the gate unit according to the data received by the radio communication unit.

Claims

1. A method for regulating passages of passengers who carry short range radio technology based portable terminal devices, in a passageway that is extended along a passing direction of the passengers, comprising:

sensing the passengers in the passageway, by human sensors;

detecting a number of passengers entering into the passageway according to outputs of the human sensors, by a radio communication unit having a communication possible range within which terminal devices of a plurality of passengers in the passageway can be located simultaneously;

performing transmission/reception of data at the radio communication unit with respect to only one terminal device of one passenger in the passageway by establishing a connection only with the one terminal device; and

controlling opening or closing of a gate unit provided at an exit side of the passageway, which is to be opened or closed to regulate the passages of the passengers, according to the data received by the radio communication unit.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the sensing step senses the passengers by a plurality of the human sensors arranged along the passing direction of the passengers.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein at the performing step, the radio communication unit receives the data that is information regarding a permission to pass the gate unit.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein at the sensing step, at least one of the human sensors has a detectable range at a front side of a communication possible range of the radio communication unit along the passing direction of the passengers.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the controlling step closes the gate unit when at least one of the human sensors with a detectable range overlapping with a communication possible range of the radio communication unit detects a passenger before the transmission/reception of the data is finished.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the controlling step permits an entry of one subsequent passenger into a communication possible range of the radio communication unit when a connection with the terminal device of one passenger is already established.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

displaying a state of progress of a processing by the controlling step at a display unit.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the displaying step displays at the display unit which is arranged along the passing direction of the passengers and which guides the passages of the passengers according to the state of progress of the processing.