Communications: electrical – Vehicle detectors
Reexamination Certificate
1999-10-21
2001-12-11
Hofsass, Jeffery A. (Department: 2736)
Communications: electrical
Vehicle detectors
C340S937000, C340S540000, C340S541000, C348S149000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06329930
ABSTRACT:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to security gates and to a method and apparatus for detection and reporting of a breach of the security gate in real time.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
Security gates are well known in the art, particularly those that control ingress and egress from parking lots and parking structures. These gates typically are operated by the use of some access card, remote control device, keypad, telephone entry system or other electronic access control, or by the payment of a fee, for example a parking fee or a road toll. Often the gate is remotely located and not manned, or at least not manned twenty-four hours a day seven days a week. A problem exists in the art where such gates are breached by an intruder without authorized access or someone departing without paying the appropriate fee. The gates are typically made of metal, wood or plastic so that a vehicle can easily drive through the gate, breaking off the gate. Even more heavy duty metal gates and roll-up doors and the like can be breached in this manner with a large enough vehicle. When this happens, known gates have been adapted to set off an alarm. In some cases surveillance cameras are located near the gate to record such events. In the case of remotely located gates and off-hours intrusions, the camera may not have enough recording capacity to still have on the recorded video the breach and/or the breacher is long gone before the tape is viewed. Another issue that needs addressing is the situation where a tail-gaiter behind an authorized entrant clears through the gate before is closes.
Upon a valid authorization, some form of a controller, e.g., a microcomputer or microcontroller, opens the gate. This allows the vehicle to ingress or egress and in so doing the vehicle passes over or by a sensor, typically a magnetic loop, but it could be a must come down before the loop sensor senses a second vehicle passing the loop sensor.
There exists a need in the art to better monitor gate intrusions in real time in order to better identify and apprehend the perpetrator.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
A method and apparatus for detecting the breach of a security gate senses the gate in the closed position while the vehicle is sensed in the exiting position, or senses the gate not having returned to the closed position before a second vehicle passes the loop sensor. In either case, the gate is being breached. The present invention initiates the electronic photography of the perpetrator and the perpetrator's vehicle and license plates. An electronic mail message addressed to the owner of the facility, the appropriate police department and whatever other security company or agency is appropriate is opened and transmitted along with the electronic images within or as an attachment to the electronic mail mess age.
REFERENCES:
patent: 5101200 (1992-03-01), Swett
patent: 5204675 (1993-04-01), Sekine
patent: 5323151 (1994-06-01), Parsadayan
patent: 5353021 (1994-10-01), Toyama
patent: 5392034 (1995-02-01), Kuwagaki
patent: 5729101 (1998-03-01), Richmond et al.
patent: 5805209 (1998-09-01), Yuge et al.
patent: 5946660 (1999-08-01), McCarty et al.
Hofsass Jeffery A.
Previl Daniel
LandOfFree
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