Quick pass exit/entrance installation and monitoring method

• US 8,767,075 B2
• Filed: 12/01/2010
• Issued: 07/01/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 12/01/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Control Module, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Control Module, Inc.
• Inventors: Bianco, James S.
• Primary Examiner(s): Perungavoor, Sath V
• Assistant Examiner(s): NAWAZ, TALHA M
• Application Number:
  US12/957,938
• Publication Number:
  US 20110128381A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,308 Days
• Field of Search: 348 61-162
• US Class Current: 348/149
• CPC Class Codes: G07B 15/02 taking into account a variable factor such as distance or time, e.g. for passenger transport, parking systems or car rental systems G07B15/06 takes precedence; taximeters G07B13/00; parking meters per se G07F17/24; car rental systems per se G07B15/00
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 2009/00928 for garage doors
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 9/22 in combination with an identity check of the pass holder
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/017 identifying vehicles G08G1/015, G08G1/054 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/04 using optical or ultrasonic detectors
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/18 Closed-circuit television [CCTV] systems, i.e. systems in which the video signal is not broadcast

Abstract

A quick pass exit/entrance installation and method is particularly adaptable for controlling and monitoring the exit and return of vehicles to and from a secured area. The identification of the driver and the vehicle is automatically determined and the exiting transaction is undertaken while the driver remains seated in the vehicle. The vehicle VIN and the image of the license plate may be automatically obtained at both the exit and entrance lanes. An image of substantially all four sides of the vehicle may be automatically obtained on both exiting and entering the facility. The information is processed and receipts are issued while the driver remains seated in the vehicle.

Claims

1. A quick pass exit/entrance installation to control the exit from and entrance to a facility comprising:

an exit lane with opposed exit sides and an exit gate and a tail gate;

an exit camera system having a field of view which entirely covers all four exterior sides of a vehicle disposed in said exit lane between said tail gate and said exit gate, wherein the exit camera system captures a pre-travel image of the vehicle;

an exit terminal disposed at one exit side and having a video display, a driver image camera and a driver license reader;

an exit reader for electronically identifying the vehicle in said exit lane;

an entrance lane having opposed entrance sides and a one-way gate;

an entrance reader for electronically identifying the vehicle in the entrance lane;

an entrance camera system having a field of view which entirely covers all four exterior sides of a vehicle disposed in said entrance lane between said entrance sides and one-way gate, wherein the entrance camera system captures a second image upon return of the vehicle; and

a processor wherein the pre-travel images from said exit camera system and the second image from said entrance camera systems are compared for a given the vehicle to assess damage to said vehicle.

2. The installation of claim 1 wherein at least one of said exit reader and said entrance reader is an RFID reader.

3. The installation of claim 1 wherein said exit terminal further comprises an intercom and a receipt printer.

4. The installation of claim 1 wherein said exit reader comprises a reader for reading the vehicle VIN.

5. The installation of claim 1 wherein said exit reader comprises a license plate reader.

6. The installation of claim 1 wherein said entrance reader comprises a reader for reading the vehicle VIN.

7. The installation of claim 1 wherein said entrance reader comprises a license plate reader.

8. The installation of claim 1 wherein said processor processes information received from said exit terminal, said exit reader, said exit camera system, said entrance reader and said entrance camera system.

9. The installation of claim 1 wherein said exit camera system comprises a front camera and a rear camera at each said opposed exit sides.

10. The installation of claim 1 wherein said entrance camera system comprises a front camera and a rear camera at each of said opposed entrance sides.

11. A method for monitoring the exit of a vehicle from a controlled facility and the return of the vehicle to the controlled facility comprising:

(a) reading the ID of a driver in the vehicle while the vehicle is in an exit lane adjacent an electronic module;

(b) obtaining an image of the driver while the driver is in the vehicle;

(c) automatically determining the identification of the vehicle;

(d) acquiring an image of the vehicle which images entirely encompasses all four exterior sides while the vehicle is in the exit lane;

wherein the exit camera system captures a pre-travel image of the vehicle;

(e) reading the driver ID at an electronic module adjacent an entrance lane to the facility;

(f) automatically determining the identification of the vehicle while the vehicle is in the entrance lane;

(g) acquiring an image of the vehicle while the vehicle which image entirely encompasses all four exterior sides while the vehicle is in the entrance lane;

wherein the entrance camera system captures a second image upon return of the vehicle and

(h) processing the information of steps (a)-(g) to correlate the data upon exiting the secured facility to data acquired upon entering the secured facility for a given vehicle;

wherein the pre-travel images from said exit camera system and the second image from said entrance camera systems are compared for a given the vehicle to assess damage to said vehicle.

12. The method system of claim 11 further comprising automatically reading the VIN of the vehicle at the exit lane and the entrance lane of the secured facility.

13. The method of claim 11 further comprising automatically acquiring an image of the vehicle license plate while the vehicle is at the exit lane and at the entrance lane of the secured facility.

14. The method of claim 11 further comprising displaying information at the electronic module adjacent the exit lane.

15. The method of claim 11 further comprising displaying information at an electronic module adjacent the entrance lane.

16. The method of claim 11 further comprising issuing a receipt to the driver from an electronic module adjacent the exit lane.

17. The method of claim 11 further comprising issuing a receipt to the driver from an electronic module adjacent the entrance lane.

18. The method of claim 11 further comprising processing the information from steps (a)-(c) to determine whether egress from the facility is allowed and to generate a signal for opening a gate across the exit lane.