Security system

• US 8,155,392 B1
• Filed: 10/01/2007
• Issued: 04/10/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 10/01/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: McWilliams Security, LLC
• Original Assignee: McWilliams Security, LLC
• Inventors: McWilliams, James T., McWilliams, Judith A., McWilliams, Drew M., McWilliams, Jennifer L.
• Primary Examiner(s): Werner, Brian
• Assistant Examiner(s): RICE, ELISA M
• Application Number:
  US11/905,437
• Time in Patent Office: 1,653 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 382/115
• CPC Class Codes: G01G 1/20 Beam balances having the pans carried below the beam, and for use with separate counterweights
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/40 Authorisation, e.g. identification of payer or payee, verification of customer or shop credentials; Review and approval of payers, e.g. check credit lines or negative lists
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 11/00 Arrangements, systems or apparatus for checking, e.g. the occurrence of a condition, not provided for elsewhere
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 9/253 visually
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 25/008 Alarm setting and unsetting, i.e. arming or disarming of the security system

Abstract

The present invention is directed to a security system and method for child safety. Advantageously, the present invention includes displaying an image of a child, and for departure, the child recognizing the image of himself/herself, and being informed upon seeing his/her image that a person has arrived who is authorized to leave a setting such as a day care center, with the child. The invention is particularly useful in the case of young children unable to read, but capable of identifying their own images.

Claims

1. A security system comprising

a sensor for collecting unique identifying information from a vehicle entering a secure area;

a computer in electronic communication with said sensor for receiving said unique identifying information from said sensor;

a computer program running on said computer, wherein said computer program receives said unique identifying information;

a database in electronic communication with said computer program, wherein said database comprises a plurality of database records comprising identifying images of children in association with unique identifiers to be matched to the received unique identifying information,

wherein said computer program comprises program code for comparing said received unique identifying information with said unique identifiers in said database; and

at least one display in electronic communication with said computer, for displaying information comprising an identifying image of each child associated with at least one unique identifier in said database, in response to said received unique identifying information matching a unique identifier in said database;

wherein said identifying image of each such child is displayed in a location that informs each such child upon seeing his/her identifying image, that a person authorized to leave with each such child, has arrived.

2. The security system of claim 1, wherein an identifier understandable by a child for informing a child of a specified pick up station is displayed in association with said identifying image of each such child.

3. The security system of claim 2, wherein said identifier for informing a child of a specified pick up location, is a color.

4. The security system of claim 1, further comprising a plurality of identification passes each comprising an identifying image of a child, and an identifying image of each person authorized to leave with said child.

5. The security system of claim 4, wherein said identifying image of the authorized person is a digitized image of a driver'"'"'s license of the authorized person.

6. The security system of claim 1, wherein identifying images of children of different families are displayed in an order that corresponds to the order that vehicles of the families arrive.

7. The security system of claim 1, wherein two or more identifying images of children of the same family are displayed in response to said received unique identifying information matching a unique identifier in said database.

8. A security system comprising

a sensor for collecting unique identifying information from a vehicle entering a secure area;

a computer in electronic communication with said sensor;

a computer program running on said computer, wherein said computer program receives said unique identifying information;

a database in electronic communication with said computer program, wherein said database comprises a plurality of database records comprising identifying images of children in association with unique identifiers, and

at least one display in electronic communication with said computer, for displaying information;

further comprising collecting unique identifying information from a vehicle entering a secure area;

comparing the collected unique identifying information with said unique identifiers in said database;

displaying information comprising an identifying image of each child associated with at least one unique identifier in said database, in response to said received unique identifying information matching a unique identifier in said database; and

displaying said identifying image in a location for each child to see his/her identifying image so as to inform each child that a person authorized to leave with the child has arrived.

9. The security system of claim 8, further comprising displaying an identifier understandable by a child for informing a child of a specified pick up station, in association with said identifying image.

10. The security system of claim 9, wherein said identifier understandable by a child for informing a child of a specified pick up station, is a color.

11. The security system of claim 8, further comprising referring to an identification pass comprising an identifying image of a child and an identifying image of each person authorized to leave with said child, to visually confirm that a person authorized to leave with the child is in the vehicle.

12. The security system of claim 8, further comprising displaying identifying images of children of different families in an order that corresponds to the order that vehicles of the families arrive.

13. The security system of claim 8, further comprising children returning identification passes for subsequent use, prior to or in the course of boarding vehicles.

14. The security system of claim 13, further comprising placing aside in a suitable receptable an identification pass received from a prior child prior to accepting an identification pass from the next child to board a vehicle.

15. The security system of claim 13, further comprising displaying two or more identifying images of children of the same family in response to said received unique identifying information matching a unique identifier in said database.

16. A method of providing for secure transfer of responsibility for a child, comprising

collecting unique identifying information from a vehicle entering a secure area;

comparing the collected unique identifying information with a plurality of unique identifiers in a database;

displaying information comprising an identifying image of each child associated with at least one unique identifier of said plurality of unique identifiers in said database, in response to said collected unique identifying information matching said at least one unique identifier in said database; and

displaying said identifying image in a location for each child to see his/her identifying image so as to inform each child that a person authorized to leave with the child has arrived.

17. The method of claim 16, further comprising displaying an identifier understandable by a child for informing a child of a specified pick up station, in association with said identifying image.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein said identifier understandable by a child for informing a child of a specified pick up station, is a color.

19. The method of claim 16, further comprising displaying two or more identifying images of children of the same family in response to said received unique identifying information matching a unique identifier in said database.

20. The method of claim 16, further comprising referring to an identification pass comprising an identifying image of a child and an identifying image of each person authorized to leave with said child, to visually confirm that a person authorized to leave with the child has arrived.