Communications: electrical – Condition responsive indicating system – Specific condition
Reexamination Certificate
2001-01-30
2002-10-29
Wu, Daniel J. (Department: 2632)
Communications: electrical
Condition responsive indicating system
Specific condition
C340S541000, C340S545200, C340S606000, C049S031000, C049S068000, C109S068000, C109S071000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06472984
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to the field of security entrance systems and more particularly relates to a security entrance system for restricting access from one area to another area.
Many security systems depend on perimeter protection against contraband. For example, in a typical airport security system, devices such as electromagnetic metal detectors are used to prevent smuggling of weapons from an unprotected area, also referred to as the “infeed” area” into the protected area of the airport terminal. Metal detectors and other devices adapted to detect weapons can be deployed in a similar manner to protect other protected areas as, for example, military installations, utility control centers, police stations and other installations susceptible to terrorism. A similar perimeter protection approach can be applied using devices to detect other types of contraband. For example, drug detection devices rather than metal detectors can be applied at customs entry ports. In this instance, the infeed area may constitute the region accessible to incoming travelers prior to customs inspection, whereas the protected area may constitute the free or unrestricted, post-customs region.
Protection using only a detection device such as a metal detector requires constant monitoring of the boundary between the infeed area and the protected area. If the monitoring personnel relax their vigilance even a moment, a smuggler can enter or pass contraband through the opening protected by the detector. For this reason, automatic doors can be used in combination with contraband detectors such as metal detectors. For example, a metal detector may be connected to an automatic door at the entry to the protected area, so that the metal detector detects any metal carried by the person before the person reaches the door and opens the door only if no metal is detected. If the metal detector has detected metal, the door does not open and the person must pass back into the in-feed area through the metal detector. Such a system can be defeated by a smuggler who simply leaves contraband such as a gun behind at the door, just past the metal detector, in a region which is not examined by the metal detector system. The smuggler steps back out of the system through the metal detector. He then surrenders some innocent metal object such as keys to the security officers monitoring the system to provide an innocent explanation for the initial metal detection and re-enters the protected area through the metal detector, which does not detect any metal. As the door opens, the smuggler retrieves the contraband and enters the protected area.
Some security systems restrict access to a protected area to a designated set of individuals. For example, an entrance to an industrial plant may be provided with doors which require a physical token such as a unique pass card or entry of a unique code to open the door. Other systems use biometric measurements such as hand measurements, pupillary pattern recognition or other biometric parameters to identify a particular authorized user. For example, an employee may insert his or her hand into the machine and physical measurements of the hand may be checked against a database of hand measurements for authorized users. Such arrangements may be combined with a contraband detection system as discussed above. To obtain entry, the employee presents his or her pass card, enters his or her code or provides a biometric measurement. If the system recognizes the pass card, code or biometric measurement, it allows the employee to open the door and also records the identity of the employee and the time of entry. Such systems theoretically can exclude unauthorized persons and can also keep track of the entries and exits of authorized persons. However, these systems can be defeated if more than one person enters the protected area when the door is open. For example, if a first authorized person enters the proper code, the door will operate in response to the code. Two or more people may enter the protected area when the door operates. If an authorized person is careless, or if an authorized person is acting under duress, he or she may let an unauthorized person enter the protected area.
Accordingly, despite all of the effort which has been devoted to contraband detection and security entrance systems in the art heretofore, there are still considerable needs for improvement in security systems and methods.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The present invention addresses these needs.
One aspect of the present invention provides a security entrance system for restricting access from an infeed area to a protected area. A security system in accordance with this aspect of the invention desirably includes a structure defining an enclosed chamber with a first opening connecting the interior of the chamber with the infeed area and a second opening connecting the interior of the chamber with the protected area. The structure defining the chamber includes one or more first doors movable between a closed position in which the first doors block the first opening and an open position in which the first doors do not block such opening. The structure defining the chamber also includes one or more second doors movable between a closed position in which the second doors block the second opening and an open position in which the second doors do not block the second opening. This system desirably further includes a detector arranged to detect contraband entering the chamber through the first opening as, for example, a electromagnetic or other known metal detector for detecting weapons, a chemical detector such as an ion scan system or other chemically sensitive system for detecting chemical contraband such as drugs or explosives.
The system further includes a chamber monitoring system which is connected to the structure. The chamber monitoring system is arranged to detect at least one characteristic of the structure defining the chamber. Preferably, the chamber monitoring system is arranged to detect the weight of the structure. The entrance system according to this aspect of the invention desirably also includes a controller connected to the doors, the detection system and the chamber monitoring system.
The controller desirably is arranged to operate cyclically. In one normal operating mode, each cycle of the controller includes an entry phase in which the first door is open to allow a person entry to the chamber, and the detection system is actuated to monitor the entrance to the chamber for contraband. In a further phase of the cycle, the first door or doors are closed and the second door or doors are allowed to open only if no contraband was detected in the entry phase and only while the first door is closed. Thus, the system will not allow a person into the protected area through the second opening unless the first door is closed and no contraband was detected. If no contraband was detected, the cycle ends when the person passes through the second opening, whereupon the second door or doors close. If contraband was detected, the first door or doors are reopened and the cycle ends when the person passes back out of the chamber through the first opening.
At the end of each cycle, or at least at the end of each cycle in which contraband passing into the chamber was detected by the metal detector or other contraband detector, the controller checks the structure characteristic such as the weight of the structure and chamber when no person is present in the chamber. The controller is arranged to inhibit operation of at least one of the doors during the next cycle if the characteristic of the structure determined by the monitoring system differs from a normal value of such characteristic. For example, if the weight of the chamber-defining structure with no person in the chamber is heavier than its normal empty weight, after the end of a cycle in which the metal detector issued an alarm, the controller may inhibit opening of the first door or the second door. Stated another way, after contraband has bee
Georal International Ltd.
Lerner David Littenberg Krumholz & Mentlik LLP
Pham Toan
Wu Daniel J.
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