Apparatus and method of automating arrival and departure procedures in airport

• US 8,127,989 B2
• Filed: 07/10/2009
• Issued: 03/06/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 06/04/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Incheon International Airport Corporation (Government of South Korea)
• Original Assignee: Incheon International Airport Corporation (Government of South Korea)
• Inventors: Choi, Hyung Kyu, Choi, Yoon Jeong, Seo, Eun Jeong
• Primary Examiner(s): Hess, Daniel
• Assistant Examiner(s): KELLY, RAFFERTY D
• Application Number:
  US12/500,624
• Publication Number:
  US 20100308108A1
• Time in Patent Office: 970 Days
• Field of Search: 235/382
• US Class Current: 235/382
• CPC Class Codes: E05G 5/003 Entrance control E05G5/02 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 9/10 Movable barriers with registering means
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 9/257 electronically G07C9/26 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 9/27 with central registration

Abstract

The present invention relates to an apparatus and method of automating arrival and departure procedures in an airport, by which the forgery of a passport, the identity of a passport bearer, the arrival or departure permission according to a result of arrival and departure examinations, and the carry-on of prohibited items on the plane are automatically checked. The apparatus for automating arrival and departure procedures according to the present invention includes an exit gate, a departure automation apparatus, and may further include an entrance gate and a scanner. In the apparatus for automating arrival and departure procedures according to the present invention, a departure area entry procedure, a security screening procedure, and a departure examination procedure for departure passengers, which are conventionally performed separately in different areas, may be incorporated in the same area and performed therein.

Claims

1. An apparatus for automating arrival and departure procedures for controlling a bearer of an electronic passport to undergo a security procedure when passing a path, the apparatus comprising:

an entrance gate installed at an entrance of the path;

a scanner installed at the entrance gate and controlling opening of the entrance gate by reading identity information recorded in a machine readable passport zone (MRZ) of the electronic passport;

an exit gate installed at an exit of the path;

a departure automation apparatus installed beside the path and generating identity read information and bio read information by reading a non-contact IC chip of the electronic passport in which identity information and bio information including a face image of the bearer of the electronic passport are stored, generating image bio information by capturing an image of the face of the bearer of the electronic passport, and generating first result information about forgery of the electronic passport by comparing the identity information recorded in the MRZ with the identity read information;

a security screening device installed beside the path and performing a security screening on the bearer of the electronic passport and generating check result information about whether the bearer of the electronic passport has a carry-on item prohibited on a plane;

a departure management portion generating second result information about check-in of the electronic passport bearer by comparing the identity read information and check-in information received from an airline system, generating third result information about the identity of the electronic passport bearer by comparing the bio read information and the image bio information, transmitting the identity read information to an immigration system, and receiving from the immigration system fourth result information about a departure examination result determined based on the identity read information,

wherein, when the bearer of the electronic passport passes all security procedures according to the first to fourth result information and the check result information, the departure management portion opens the exit gate only,

wherein, when the bearer of the electronic passport fails to pass any one of the security procedures according to the first to fourth result information and the check result information, the departure management portion opens the entrance gate only,

wherein, when the bearer of the electronic passport passes through the entrance gate, other persons do not pass through the entrance gate until the bearer of the electronic passport exits from the path.

2. The apparatus of either claim 1, further comprising a guidance output portion guiding the bearer of the electronic passport on an action that the bearer of the electronic passport is to perform using video and/or audio.

3. The apparatus of either claim 1, wherein the path is a space segregated from the outside by a pair of partition walls that are a predetermined distance apart facing each other.

4. The apparatus of either claim 1, wherein the bio information stored in the electronic passport further comprises at least one of a fingerprint image and an iris image of the bearer of the electronic passport, the departure automation apparatus further captures at least one of the fingerprint image and the iris image of the bearer of the electronic passport, and the bio read information further comprises at least one of the fingerprint image and the iris image.

5. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein each of the entrance gate, the exit gate, and the departure automation apparatus is provided in a plural number and the departure management portion controls each of the entrance gates, the exit gates, and the departure automation apparatuses.

6. A method of automating arrival and departure procedures for controlling a bearer of an electronic passport to undergo a security procedure when passing a path, the method comprising:

opening an entrance gate installed at an entrance of the path when identity information recorded in a machine readable passport zone (MRZ) of the electronic passport is read by a scanner installed at the entrance of the path

generating identity read information and bio read information by reading the electronic passport in which bio information including a face image of an electronic passport owner and identity information of the electronic passport owner are stored;

generating image bio information by capturing a face image of the bearer of the electronic passport;

generating first result information about forgery of the electronic passport by determining whether the electronic passport is forged;

generating check result information about whether the bearer of the electronic passport has carry-on items prohibited on a plane, by checking the bearer of the electronic passport;

generating second result information about check-in of the bearer of the electronic passport by comparing the identity read information and check-in information received from an airline system;

generating third result information about the identity of the bearer of the electronic passport by comparing the bio read information and the image bio information;

transmitting the identity read information to an immigration system, and receiving from the immigration system fourth result information about a departure examination result determined based on the identity read information;

analyzing the first to fourth result information and the check result information, and opening only an exit gate installed at an exit of the path if the bearer of the electronic passport passes all security procedures according to the first to fourth result information and the check result information; and

analyzing the first to fourth result information and the check result information, and opening only the entrance gate if the bearer of the electronic passport fails to any one of the security procedures according to the first to fourth result information and the check result information,

wherein, when the bearer of the electronic passport passes through the entrance gate, other persons do not pass through the entrance gate until the bearer of the electronic passport exit from the path.

7. The method of claim 6, further comprising guiding the bearer of the electronic passport on an action that the bearer of the electronic passport is to perform using video and/or audio.

8. The method of claim 6, wherein the bio information stored in the electronic passport further comprises at least one of a fingerprint image and an iris image of the bearer of the electronic passport, at least one of the fingerprint image and the iris image of the bearer of the electronic passport is further captured in the generating of image bio information by capturing a face image of the bearer of the electronic passport, and the bio read information further comprises at least one of the fingerprint image and the iris image.