Standoff security and real-time vendor verification system and apparatus

• US 7,280,042 B2
• Filed: 03/23/2005
• Issued: 10/09/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 03/24/2004
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Richard Steven Trela
• Original Assignee: Richard Steven Trela
• Inventors: Trela, Richard Steven
• Primary Examiner(s): Lee; Benjamin C.
• Assistant Examiner(s): BLOUNT, ERIC
• Application Number:
  US11/087,923
• Publication Number:
  US 20050219359A1
• Time in Patent Office: 930 Days
• Field of Search: 340/539.22
• US Class Current: 340/539.22
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 9/257 electronically G07C9/26 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/18 Closed-circuit television [CCTV] systems, i.e. systems in which the video signal is not broadcast

Abstract

A stand-off security checkpoint system and apparatus that enables security officers entrusted with protecting our nations'"'"' critical infrastructure or other high risk locations, a means of verifying in real-time, the identity of entrants to a facility. Via a communications system and apparatus that is positioned a safe, stand-off distance away from the entrance to a facility, a person entering a facility exits his vehicle or walks up to a machine housing which is equipped with cameras and sensor equipment. A close up view of the persons'"'"' identification as well a picture of the person himself is captured and readied for real-time transmission to security personnel well away from the entrants location at the machine. Via wireless transmitter and receiver equipment, and computer hardware and software arrangements incorporated into the system, the entrant and his identification card can be viewed and verified, from a safe standoff distance by on-site, as well as off-site security screening personnel. The utilization of wireless networks and internet communications networks, along with the machines'"'"' physical features and use, creates multiple opportunities to detect suspicious behavior by entrants to facility well before they reach an unsafe distance to the entrance. While in operation, and with the person a safe distance away from the entrance, the system further equipped with sensors to detect metal, chemical and biological substances can also send special alerts to the detection of harmful substances, well before the entrant reaches the entrance to the facility or security checkpoint. By design, the system and apparatus creates a new and effective means of deterring terrorists who may be trying to effect a terrorist infiltration by disguising themselves as officials or vendors. Additionally, the system is designed to be laid out so as to prompt a direct separation of a would-be suicide or truck bomber from his vehicle. This can greatly deter his desire to effect an attack at that location, as the chances for nullification and or the detection of suspicious activity by security officers operating the system, well before he reaches his location are greatly in odds against him.

Claims

1. A digital image and computer-based standoff security checkpoint system and apparatus for deterring vehicle and suicide bomber attacks by initiating a process and system of security checkpoint steps an entrant to a facility goes through from a standoff distance away from security personnel that verifies an entrants'"'"' identity in real-time at a facility entrance comprising:

a machine housing that serves as a base station for the gathering and simultaneous transmission of real-time images of an entrant to a facility as well as said entrant'"'"'s drivers license or other I.D. card;

a digital camera positioned at the top of said machine housing positioned to visually capture the face image of an entrant to a facility to transmit via conventional image transmission means including but not limited to cable, hard wired Internet, wireless Internet, microwave transmission and receiving systems, cellular signal or satellite transmission accurate images of an entrant to a facility as well as a separate digital camera positioned at the center of said machine housing positioned to visually capture and transmit via conventional image transmission means including but not limited to cable, hard wired Internet, wireless Internet, microwave transmission and receiving systems, cellular signal or satellite transmission accurate images of an entrants'"'"' identification card or drivers license upon an entrants approach to a facility;

a server computer including a processor for maintaining digital image gathering software and a video card system for generating LAN and WAN Web site accessible communications;

a digital image database designed for storing digital images of an entrants'"'"' face and digital images of an entrants'"'"' identification card or drivers license including the date and time information of an entrants access to the facility;

a web based hyperlink for accessing real-time visual information from an entrants'"'"' use of said machine housing which allows real-time viewing of the entrants'"'"' I.D. as well as a real-time viewing of an entrants face over the Internet;

a web based hyperlink for accessing real-time visual information from an entrants'"'"' use which allows real-time viewing of the entrants'"'"' I.D. as well as a real-time viewing of his face over a local area network;

a wireless video transmission for providing information to on-site security personnel, wherein the provided information comprises a real-time digital video image of the user as well as real-time digital image of an entrants'"'"' identification card or drivers license for the purpose of identifying the true identity of an entrant entering a facility in real-time while keeping an entrant at a safe stand-off distance;

a local wireless transmission receiver that allows the real-time verification of an entrants'"'"' identification card or drivers license as well as an entrant while maintaining a safe stand off distance from the entrant; and

a local wireless two-way radio communication system that allows communication between the user and the security guard at a sate standoff distance away.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the communications network is any conventional image transmission means including but not limited to cable, bard wired Internet, wireless Internet, microwave transmission and receiving systems, cellular signal or satellite transmission.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the viewing Web site is configured to receive a digital image of an entrant to a facility as well as said entrant'"'"'s identification or drivers license that is originated and generated by said digital cameras system positioned in said machine housing best suited to take a digital image of the facility entrant while simultaneously creating a digital image of his identification or drivers license for on-site review via a LAN and computer terminal as well as an off-site review and verification via the Internet before an entrant is permitted by security personnel to proceed past a safe stand-off distance from the facilities'"'"' assets upon entry to a facility.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein said housing supports a digital camera positioned to transmit images of an entrant to a facility as well a separate digital camera positioned to transmit images of an entrants'"'"' identification card or drivers license upon an entrants'"'"' approach to a facility, wherein the said housing is placed at a pre-determined safe stand-off distance calculated to create a buffer between an entrant and the assets of a facility based on the quantity of explosives or other harmful substances the type of vehicle an entrant is driving may house.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the said communications system and housing is located at a distance from an entrants'"'"' vehicle so as to cause an entrant to separate far enough away from his vehicle so as to render him less certain of his suicide success as he moves farther and farther away from his suicide vehicle.

6. The system of claim 1 further comprising a housing equipped with biological sensors that detect harmful biological agents and set off an alarm back at security post located a safe stand-off distance away from assets and people.

7. The system of claim 1 further comprising a housing equipped with chemical sensors that detect harmful chemical agents and set off an alarm back at a security post located a safe stand-off distance away assets and people.

8. The system of claim 1 further comprising a housing equipped with metal detector sensors that detect large amounts of metal indicating a suicide bomber pack or other weapon and set off an alarm back at a security post located a safe stand-off distance away from assets and people.

9. The system of claim 1 further comprising at least one of a computer, a cellular telephone, kiosks, a PDA, or other remote computing device linked to the server via the communications link to verify in real-time the identity of an entrant to the facility.

10. The system as in one of claims 6-8 further comprising at least one of a computer, a cellular telephone, kiosks, a PDA, or other remote computing device linked to the server via the communications link to receive alerts from biological, chemical or metal detection sensors located in the said housing.