Access control apparatus

• US 7,845,115 B2
• Filed: 08/31/2006
• Issued: 12/07/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 08/31/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: SKIDATA AG (Thales SA)
• Original Assignee: SKIDATA AG (Thales SA)
• Inventors: Ponert, Gregor, Wallerstorfer, Kurt
• Primary Examiner(s): Mitchell, Katherine W
• Assistant Examiner(s): Kelly, Catherine A
• Application Number:
  US11/513,823
• Publication Number:
  US 20080120909A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,559 Days
• Field of Search: 49/31, 49/32, 49/42, 49/44, 49/45, 49/46, 49/47, 49/49, 492/63, 492/67, 49/26, 49/35
• US Class Current: 49/47
• 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 15/75 responsive to the weight or other physical contact of a person or object
• CPC Class Codes: E05F 15/76 responsive to devices carried by persons or objects, e.g. magnets or reflectors E05F15/77 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: E05Y 2400/82 Images; Symbols
• CPC Class Codes: E05Y 2800/00 Details, accessories and auxiliary operations not otherwise provided for
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 2011/02 related to amusement parks
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 9/15 with arrangements to prevent the passage of more than one individual at a time

Abstract

An access control apparatus has a blocking device (1) that is actuated by an actuator, and an authentication reader (7), upon reading a valid access authorization the blocking device (1) moving into the release position. For detecting a wheel chair (15) and/or pram in the area of the blocking device (1) a sensor (13) is provided, which does not activate the actuator for moving the blocking device (1) from the release position into the blocking position until the wheel chair (15) or pram has left its detection area.

Claims

1. A personal access control apparatus for checking both walking persons and wheel chair users or persons pushing prams through a single passageway having one direction of travel, wherein the walking persons, wheelchair users, and people pushing prams travel on an entrance lane surface, the personal access control apparatus comprising a blocking device having a barrier arm, which is activated by an actuator controlled via a control system, and an authentication reader, wherein upon reading a valid access authorization the blocking device is moved from a blocking position into a release position by actuating the actuator, the access control apparatus further comprising a wheel chair and/or pram sensor including a continuous induction loop that is embedded below the entrance lane surface and below the barrier arm in the blocking position, a first end of the induction loop being disposed along the direction of travel before the barrier arm when the barrier arm is in the blocking position and a second end of the induction loop being disposed after the barrier arm along the direction of travel whereby the first and second ends define a first area adjacent the blocking device, the wheel chair and/or pram sensor for distinguishing the presence of a wheel chair and/or pram in the first area adjacent the blocking device from the presence of a person, wherein the wheel chair and/or pram sensor does not activate the actuator so as to move the barrier arm from the release position into the blocking position until the wheel chair and/or the pram has left the area of the induction loop, and a people sensor for controlling the actuator so that the blocking device remains in the release position after the wheel chair and/or pram has left the area of the induction loop as long as a person is in a detection area of the people sensor.

2. The personal access control apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the actuator for moving the blocking device into the blocking position is activated to move the blocking device to the blocking position a predetermined period of time after the wheel chair and/or pram has left the area of the wheel chair and/or pram sensor so long as the presence of a person is not detected by the people sensor.

3. The personal access control apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the sensor having the induction loop for distinguishing the presence of a wheel chair and/or pram from a person comprises a first sensor, and wherein a second sensor for distinguishing the presence of a wheel chair and/or pram from a person is located after the first sensor in the direction of passage, and wherein after the first sensor determines the presence of a wheel chair and/or pram, the actuator for moving the barrier arm of the blocking device into the closed position is not activated until the presence of the wheel chair and/or pram is subsequently sensed by the second sensor.

4. The personal access control apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the people sensor comprises an optoelectronic sensor.

5. The personal access control apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the people sensor comprises a picture recording unit with a downstream picture processing system and picture evaluation.

6. The personal access control apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the blocking device comprises a turning blocking device for turning the barrier arm.

7. The personal access control apparatus according to claim 6, wherein the barrier arm comprises a single barrier arm, and wherein the single barrier arm is turned between the individual blocking positions by 360 degrees and a rotation axis of the turning blocking device in relation to the horizontal line is inclined by 30 degrees to 60 degrees.

8. The personal access control apparatus according to claim 6, wherein the barrier arm comprises a first barrier arm and the turning blocking device includes a second barrier arm, wherein the first and second barrier arms are disposed offset one above the other by about 120 degrees and about 240 degrees.

9. The personal access control apparatus according to claim 7, wherein the single barrier arm and the rotation axis of the turning blocking device enclose an angle of 30 degrees to 60 degrees.

10. The personal access control apparatus according to claim 7, wherein upon reading a valid access authorization, the access authorization reader activates the actuator in such a way that the single barrier arm in a first partial turn is turned downward from the blocking position into the release position and the actuator for turning the barrier arm in a second partial turn into the blocking position is not activated before the wheel chair and/or pram has left the detection area of the wheel chair and/or pram sensor for distinguishing the presence of wheel chairs and/or prams from the presence of a person.

11. The personal access control apparatus according to claim 10, wherein a partial turn of the barrier arm from the blocking position downward into the release position is from 90 degrees to 270 degrees.

12. A personal access control apparatus for detecting walking persons, wheel chair users and persons pushing prams along a passageway having a single direction of travel wherein the walking persons, wheelchair users, and people pushing prams travel on an entrance lane surface, comprising:

a blocking device including a barrier arm having a blocking position and a release position for use with a passageway having an entrance side and an exit side;

an actuator for operating the blocking device;

an authentication reader for reading a valid access authorization and providing an authentication output;

a people sensor for sensing the presence of a person within a detection area and providing a people sensor output, wherein a portion of the detection area is disposed on the entrance side of the barrier arm when the barrier arm is in the blocking position;

a first wheel chair and/or pram sensor comprising a continuous induction loop that is embedded below the entrance lane surface for distinguishing the presence of a wheel chair and/or pram in a first area adjacent the blocking device from a person and providing a first sensor output, a first end of the induction loop extending beyond the blocking device toward the entrance side and a second end of the induction loop extending beyond the blocking device toward the exit side of the passageway; and

a control system for controlling the actuator for the blocking device, the control system receiving the authentication output, the people sensor output, and the first sensor output,

wherein the control system controls the actuator to move the blocking device to the release position after receiving the authentication output indicating that a valid access authorization has been received,

wherein, in response to the people sensor output, the control system prevents the actuator from moving the blocking device from the release position to the blocking position so long as a person is sensed in the detection area by the people sensor, and

wherein, in response to the first sensor output, the control system prevents the actuator from moving the blocking device from the release position to the blocking position until the wheel chair and/or the pram has left the first area of the blocking device and the people sensor does not sense the presence of a person in the detection area.

13. The personal access control apparatus of claim 12, further comprising a second wheel chair and/or pram sensor for distinguishing the presence of a wheel chair and/or pram from a person in a second area,

wherein the second area of the second sensor is spaced outwardly away from the first sensor toward the exit side of the blocking device, and

wherein the control system prevents the actuator from moving the barrier arm of the blocking device from the release position to the blocking position for a wheel chair and/or pram that is sensed by the first sensor, until the presence of the wheel chair and/or pram is no longer sensed by said first sensor, the presence of the wheel chair and/or pram is subsequently sensed by the second sensor, and the people sensor does not sense the presence of a person in the detection area.

14. The personal access control apparatus according to claim 13, wherein the second sensor for distinguishing the presence of a wheel chair and/or pram from a person comprises an inductive loop disposed in the passageway.