Apparatus, system and method of securing perimeters of security zones from suspect vehicles

• US 20040061629A1
• Filed: 09/26/2002
• Published: 04/01/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 09/26/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Banerjee, Dwip N., Spring, Eduardo N., Ravi, Kumar
• Granted Patent: US 6,977,580 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 340/989
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/207 with respect to certain areas, e.g. forbidden or allowed areas with possible alerting when inside or outside boundaries

Abstract

An apparatus, system and method of identifying a vehicle that may present safety threats to security areas are provided. The apparatus, system and method determine whether a vehicle is a suspect vehicle by comparing an identification (ID) obtained from the vehicle with a list of IDs when the vehicle approaches a security zone of the security area. If there is a match, the vehicle is a suspect vehicle and may present a safety threat to the security area. At that point, the vehicle is not allowed to proceed. If the vehicle is a land-based vehicle, the vehicle may be allowed to proceed after it has been thoroughly searched. If the vehicle attempts to proceed before being allowed to do so, a signal is sent a computer system on board the vehicle (OBCS) to stop the vehicle from proceeding. In the case where the vehicle is not a land-based vehicle, the signal may instruct the OBCS to veer the vehicle off its course.

Claims

1. A method of determining whether a vehicle is a suspect vehicle when the vehicle approaches a security zone comprising the steps of:

requesting an identification (ID) from an on-board computer system (OBCS) in the vehicle;

comparing, upon receiving the ID from vehicle, the ID from the vehicle to IDs in a list of IDs;

determining that the vehicle is a suspect vehicle if there is a match between the ID from the vehicle and one from the list of IDs; and

having the OBCS take control of the vehicle if the vehicle is determined to be a suspect vehicle.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein if the vehicle is a suspect vehicle, the OBCS does not allowed the vehicle to proceed forward.

3. The method of claim 2 wherein if the suspect vehicle is a land-based vehicle and it is proceeding forward, a signal is sent to a computer system on board of the vehicle (OBCS) to stop the vehicle from proceeding forward.

4. The method of claim 3 wherein if the suspect vehicle is not a land-based vehicle, the signal is used to instruct the OBCS to veer the suspect vehicle off its course.

5. The method of claim 4 wherein before the suspect vehicle is veered off its course, the operator is given an opportunity to alter the course of the vehicle.

6. The method of claim 5 wherein if the suspect vehicle is a land-based vehicle, the vehicle is allowed to proceed forward after it has been thoroughly searched.

7. The method of claim 1 wherein the vehicle is determined to be a suspect vehicle if there is not a match between the ID from the vehicle and one of the IDs from the list of IDs.

8. A computer program product on a computer readable medium for determining whether a vehicle is a suspect vehicle when the vehicle approaches a security zone comprising:

code means for requesting an identification (ID) from an on-board computer system (OBCS) in the vehicle;

code means for comparing, upon receiving the ID from vehicle, the ID from the vehicle to IDs in a list of IDs;

code means for determining that the vehicle is a suspect vehicle if there is a match between the ID from the vehicle and one from the list of IDs; and

code means in the vehicle for having the OBCS take control of the vehicle if the vehicle is determined to be a suspect vehicle.

9. The computer program product of claim 8 wherein if the vehicle is a suspect vehicle, the vehicle is not allowed to proceed forward.

10. The computer program product of claim 9 wherein if the suspect vehicle is a land-based vehicle and it is proceeding forward, a signal is sent to a computer system on board of the vehicle (OBCS) to stop the vehicle from proceeding forward.

11. The computer program product of claim 10 wherein if the suspect vehicle is not a land-based vehicle, the signal is used to instruct the OBCS to veer the suspect vehicle off its course.

12. The computer program product of claim 11 wherein before the suspect vehicle is veered off its course, the operator is given an opportunity to alter the course of the vehicle.

13. The computer program product of claim 12 wherein if the suspect vehicle is a land-based vehicle, the vehicle is allowed to proceed forward after it has been thoroughly searched.

14. The computer program product of claim 8 wherein the vehicle is determined to be a suspect vehicle if there is not a match between the ID from the vehicle and one of the IDs from the list of IDs.

15. A system for determining whether a vehicle is a suspect vehicle when the vehicle approaches a security zone comprising:

at least one storage device for storing code data; and

at least one processor for processing the code data to request an identification (ID) from an on-board computer system (OBCS) in the vehicle, to compare, upon receiving the ID from vehicle, the ID from the vehicle to IDs in a list of IDs, to determine that the vehicle is a suspect vehicle if there is a match between the ID from the vehicle and one from the list of IDs to have the OBCS take control of the vehicle if the vehicle is determined to be a suspect vehicle.

16. The system of claim 15 wherein if the vehicle is a suspect vehicle, the vehicle is not allowed to proceed forward.

17. The system of claim 16 wherein if the suspect vehicle is a land-based vehicle and it is proceeding forward, a signal is sent to a computer system on board of the vehicle (OBCS) to stop the vehicle from proceeding forward.

18. The system of claim 17 wherein if the suspect vehicle is not a land-based vehicle, the signal is used to instruct the OBCS to veer the suspect vehicle off its course.

19. The system of claim 18 wherein before the suspect vehicle is veered off its course, the operator is given an opportunity to alter the course of the vehicle.

20. The system of claim 19 wherein if the suspect vehicle is a land-based vehicle, the vehicle is allowed to proceed forward after it has been thoroughly searched.