Intelligent vehicle access control system

• US 8,005,267 B2
• Filed: 10/16/2008
• Issued: 08/23/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 01/07/2003
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Stratech Systems Limited (In Liquidation) (The Stratech Group Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: Stratech Systems Limited (In Liquidation) (The Stratech Group Ltd.)
• Inventors: Chew, Khien Meow David
• Primary Examiner(s): Le; Vu
• Assistant Examiner(s): Allison; Andrae S
• Application Number:
  US12/252,717
• Publication Number:
  US 20090251541A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,041 Days
• Field of Search: 340 51- 592, 340/541, 382/104, 382/105, 382115-117, 382/148, 348/148, 348/156
• US Class Current: 382/104
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 20/625 License plates
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 40/10 Human or animal bodies, e.g. vehicle occupants or pedestrians; Body parts, e.g. hands
• 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: G08B 13/19697 Arrangements wherein non-video detectors generate an alarm themselves

Abstract

An apparatus for the automatic inspection of a motor vehicle has an identification and psychological profiling zone, an automatic inspection zone and a manual inspection zone. A biometric and heart rate detection station and an attached console are located in zone one. Undercarriage scanning equipment and an explosives detection portal are located in zone two. The apparatus also has one or more fixed cameras, an alarm or other alerting mechanisms and a physical barrier. A vehicle detection mechanism detects the entry of a vehicle into zone two and captures an image of the vehicle number plate. When the captured biometric data and number plate data indicate that the driver is authorized to drive the particular vehicle into the secured zone, and if no abnormalities or foreign objects in the undercarriage image are detected, the driver is allowed to proceed.

Claims

1. An apparatus for automatically inspecting a vehicle being driven into a first area, the apparatus comprising:

database means containing;

driver identification data identifying drivers who are permitted to drive vehicles into the first area;

number plate data identifying vehicles which are permitted into the first area; and

data identifying which driver is permitted to bring which vehicle into the secure site;

means for capturing identification data about a driver who is driving the vehicle into the first area;

number plate recognition means for capturing number plate data about the vehicle being driven into the first area; and

means for interrogating the database means based on the captured identification data about the driver who is driving the vehicle into the first area and based on the captured number plate data to determine whether the driver is permitted to drive the vehicle into the first area;

wherein the means for capturing identification data comprises;

means for detecting physiological data about the driver who is driving the vehicle;

means for inferring, from the detected physiological data, information about a current psychological profile of the driver; and

means for triggering an alerting mechanism when the inferred current psychological profile of the driver matches specified criteria, wherein the specified criteria include a stress level of the driver, and wherein detecting the stress level of the driver of the vehicle takes place outside the vehicle.

2. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the means for inputting driver identification data comprises means for capturing identification data about the driver.

3. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the driver identification data for a driver comprises information from a personal identification card.

4. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the means for capturing identification data about a driver is operable to capture data from a driver'"'"'s personal identification card.

5. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the driver identification data for a driver comprises biometrics data of the driver.

6. The apparatus according to claim 5, wherein the biometrics data identifying drivers who are permitted to drive vehicles into the first area comprises at least one of:

a facial image of each such driver;

a print at least a portion of a hand of each such driver;

an eye scan of each such driver; and

voice data of each such driver.

7. The apparatus according to claim 5, wherein the means for capturing identification data about a driver is operable to capture driver biometrics data.

8. The apparatus as claimed in claim 1, in which the physiological data include data about at least one of a pulse rate and voice characteristic data of the driver.

9. The apparatus as claim 8, in which:

the apparatus further includes means for storing at least one of base-line pulse rate data and voice characteristic data about the driver; and

the means for inferring the current psychological profile of the driver from the detected physiological data includes means for comparing at least one of the detected pulse rate of the driver with the base-line pulse rate data for the driver, and the detected voice characteristic of the driver with the stored voice characteristic data for the driver.

10. The apparatus as claimed in claim 2, in which the apparatus is arranged in three zones, comprising:

an identification and psychological profiling zone, in which the means for capturing identification data about the driver is located;

an automatic inspection zone, in which the imaging for capturing an image of the undercarriage of the vehicle is located; and

a manual inspection zone.

11. The apparatus as claimed in claim 10, further comprising means, under control of the apparatus, for selectively preventing and allowing movement of the vehicle from the identification and psychological profiling zone into the automatic inspection zone.

12. The apparatus as claimed in claim 10, further comprising means, under control of the apparatus, for selectively preventing and allowing movement of the vehicle from the automatic inspection zone into the manual inspection zone.

13. The apparatus as claimed in claim 10, further comprising means, under control of the apparatus, for selectively preventing and allowing movement of the vehicle from the manual inspection zone into the first area.

14. The apparatus as claimed in claimed in claim 10 in which components of the apparatus that are located in at least one of:

the identification and psychological profiling zone;

the automatic inspection zone; and

the manual inspection zone, are hardened against the effects of explosive blast.

15. The apparatus as claimed in claim 10, further comprising a number plate recognition camera for capturing number plate data about the vehicle being driven into the first area;

and wherein

the vehicle is visible to the number plate recognition camera on entry of the vehicle into the identification and psychological profiling zone; and

on detection by the number plate recognition camera of the vehicle entering into the identification and psychological profiling zone, the number plate recognition camera is triggered to capture number plate data about the vehicle.

16. The apparatus according to claim 10 further comprising means for detecting a presence of explosives associated with the vehicle that is being driven into the first area located in at least one of the automatic inspection zone and manual inspection zone.

17. The apparatus as claimed in claim 16, wherein the means for detecting the presence of explosives include at least one of portable explosives detection devices and a detecting portal through which the vehicle is driven.

18. The apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein the number plate recognition means includes a number plate recognition camera.

19. The apparatus as claimed in claim 1, further comprising means for detecting a presence of explosives associated with the vehicle that is being driven into the first area.

20. The apparatus according to claim 19, wherein the means for detecting the presence of explosives comprises an area-scan camera for capturing a series of images of different areas of the undercarriage of the vehicle;

and

means for stitching the series of images of different areas of the undercarriage, to form a composite undercarriage image.

21. The apparatus according to claim 20, wherein individual images of the series of images are overlapping images.

22. The apparatus according to claim 20, wherein the composite undercarriage image is a complete undercarriage image.

23. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the vehicle is a motor vehicle.

24. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the first area is a secure site.

25. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein a database means further stores vehicle identification data of vehicles permitted into the first area in association with the images of the undercarriages of those vehicles.

26. The apparatus according to claim 25, further comprising:

means for inputting an identification of a vehicle being driven into the first area; and

wherein a means for comparing is operable to compare the captured image of the undercarriage of the vehicle with at least one of the stored images associated with the identification of the vehicle being driven into the first area and to highlight discrepancies therebetween.

27. The apparatus according to claim 26, further comprising means for triggering an alerting mechanism when the means for comparing highlights discrepancies.

28. The apparatus according to claim 26, wherein the means for inputting an identification of a vehicle comprises means for reading an identification number on the vehicle.

29. The apparatus according to claim 28, wherein the means for reading comprises number plate recognition means for reading a number on a vehicle number plate.

30. The apparatus according to claim 25, wherein the database means further contains driver identification data of drivers permitted to drive vehicles into the first area.

31. The apparatus according to claim 30, wherein the database means associates the driver identification data with at least one vehicle that individual drivers are permitted to drive into the first area.

32. The apparatus according to claim 31, further comprising:

means for inputting driver identification data of the driver of a vehicle being driven into the first area; and

wherein the means for comparing is operable to compare input driver identification data with driver identification data contained in the database to determine whether the driver is permitted into the first area.

33. The apparatus according to claim 32, wherein the means for comparing is further operable to compare identification data of a current vehicle being driven into the first area with driver identification data contained in the database to determined whether the driver is permitted to drive the current vehicle into the first area.

34. A method for automatically inspecting a vehicle being driven into a first area, the method comprising:

capturing identification data about a driver who is driving the vehicle into the first area;

reading a number on a vehicle number plate of the vehicle being driven into the first area; and

based on captured identification data about the driver who is driving the vehicle into the first area, captured number plate data, and driver identification data identifying drivers who are permitted to drive vehicles into the first area, determining whether the driver is permitted to drive the vehicle into the first area,

wherein capturing identification data comprises;

detecting “

by way of a processor remote from the vehicle”

physiological data about the driver who is driving the vehicle;

inferring, from the detected physiological data, information about a current psychological profile of the driver; and

triggering an alerting mechanism when the inferred current psychological profile of the driver matched specified criteria,

wherein the specified criteria include a stress level of the driver.

35. The method according to claim 34, wherein capturing identification data about a driver comprises capturing data from a personal identification card.

36. The method according to claim 34, wherein capturing identification data about a driver comprises capturing biometrics data from the driver comprising at least one of:

a facial image of each such driver;

a print of at least a portion of a hand of each such driver;

an eye scan of each such driver; and

voice data of each such driver.

37. The method as claimed in claim 34, wherein:

the physiological data includes data about either or both of the pulse rate and voice characteristic data of the driver; and

wherein inferring the current psychological profile of the driver from the detected physiological data includes comparing at least one of the detected pulse rate of the driver with a stored base-line pulse rate data for the driver, and the detected voice characteristic of the driver with a stored voice characteristic data for the driver.

38. The method as claimed in claim 34, wherein:

capturing identification data about the driver takes place when the vehicle is in an identification and psychological profiling zone;

capturing an image of the undercarriage of the vehicle takes place when the vehicle is in an automatic inspection zone; and

reading a number on a vehicle number plate when the vehicle is detected entering into the identification and psychological profiling zone; and

detecting the vehicle entering into the identification and psychological profiling zone.

39. The method as claimed in claim 38, further comprising selectively preventing and allowing movement of the vehicle from at least one of:

the identification and psychological profiling zone into the automatic inspection zone;

the automatic inspection zone into a manual inspection zone; and

the manual inspection zone into the first area.

40. The method as claimed in claim 34, further comprising detecting a presence of explosives associated with the vehicle that is being driven into the first area.

41. An apparatus for automatically inspecting a vehicle being driven into a first area, the apparatus comprising:

database means containing;

driver identification data identifying drivers who are permitted to drive vehicles into the first area;

number plate data identifying vehicles which are permitted into the first area; and

data identifying which driver is permitted to bring which vehicle into the secure site;

means for capturing identification data about a driver who is driving the vehicle into the first area;

number plate recognition means for capturing number plate data about the vehicle being driven into the first area; and

means for interrogating the database means based on the captured identification data about the driver who is driving the vehicle into the first area and based on the captured number plate data to determine whether the driver is permitted to drive the vehicle into the first area;

wherein the means for capturing identification data comprises;

means for detecting physiological data about the driver who is driving the vehicle;

means for inferring, from the detected physiological data, information about a current psychological profile of the driver; and

means for triggering an alerting mechanism when the inferred current psychological profile of the driver matches specified criteria,

wherein the specified criteria include a stress level of the driver, and

wherein detecting the physiological data about the driver comprises determining if the identification presented by the driver is false or fake.

42. A method for automatically inspecting a vehicle being driven into a first area, the method comprising:

capturing identification data about a driver who is driving the vehicle into the first area;

reading a number on a vehicle number plate of the vehicle being driven into the first area; and

based on captured identification data about the driver who is driving the vehicle into the first area, captured number plate data, and driver identification data identifying drivers who are permitted to drive vehicles into the first area, determining whether the driver is permitted to drive the vehicle into the first area,

wherein capturing identification data comprises;

detecting “

by way of a processor”

physiological data about the driver who is driving the vehicle;

inferring, from the detected physiological data, information about a current psychological profile of the driver; and

triggering an alerting mechanism when the inferred current psychological profile of the driver matches specified criteria,

wherein the specified criteria include a stress level of the driver, and

wherein detecting the physiological data about the driver comprises determining if the identification presented by the driver is false or fake.