Intruder, theft and vandalism deterrent management system for controlling a parking area

Abstract

A parking area control and management system employs a card reader, which reads identification information from a card commonly carried by a person, such as a driver's license or credit card or other identity card carried by a user that is issued by an entity other than a parking area management entity. A record is made of the identification information upon entrance of a vehicle into the parking area. The person may subsequently leave the parking area on foot and regain entry to the parking area by presenting the same card. Later, the same card is used to exit the parking area, via the vehicle, and to validate that the same person is leaving with the vehicle. The parking area control and management system also includes sensors, such as loop detectors and electric eyes, to determine if a second vehicle or a pedestrian follows behind a vehicle entering into, or exiting from, the parking area. The parking area control and management system can be used to manage existing loop detectors and electric eyes, that normally control door and gate safety access systems, and to integrate those devices into an alarm system, such that an alert is issued whenever an abnormal or unauthorized event occurs during operations.

1 . A parking area management system comprising: 
 a first barrier disposed at a vehicle or pedestrian entrance to a parking area;    a first customer terminal proximate the vehicle or pedestrian entrance of the parking area;    a first loop detector proximate the vehicle or pedestrian entrance of the parking area;    a first electric eye proximate the vehicle or pedestrian entrance of the parking area;    a control system communicatively connected to said first customer terminal, wherein said control system receives an input from said first customer terminal and if the input meets predetermined criteria the input is deemed a valid input and said control system sends an open signal to said first barrier, and wherein said control system monitors said first loop detector and said first electric eye, and if said first loop detector is triggered only once and said first electric eye is triggered only once, said control system determines that a normal vehicle entry into the parking area occurred, otherwise, said control system determines that an abnormal vehicle entry occurred and a log of the event is stored.    
     
     
         2 . The parking area management system according to  claim 1 , further comprising: 
 a camera mounted to observe the vehicle entrance to the parking area.    
     
     
         3 . The parking area management system according to  claim 2 , wherein an image or sequence of images of the vehicle entrance to the parking area are stored as part of the event log, if said control system determines that the abnormal vehicle entry into the parking area occurred.  
     
     
         4 . The parking area management system according to  claim 1 , further comprising: 
 a second loop detector proximate the vehicle entrance of the parking area, wherein said control system evaluates the sequence of activation of said first and second loop detectors to determine a direction of movement of a vehicle into or out of the vehicle entrance of the parking area.    
     
     
         5 . The parking area management system according to  claim 1 , further comprising: 
 a second electric eye proximate the entrance of the parking area, wherein said control system evaluates the sequence of activation of said first and second loop detectors and said first and second electric eyes to determine a direction of movement of a vehicle or a pedestrian into or out of the vehicle entrance of the parking area.    
     
     
         6 . The parking area and management system according to  claim 1 , wherein said first customer terminal includes a card reader for reading identifying information from a driver's license or credit card.  
     
     
         7 . The parking area and management system according to  claim 1 , wherein said first customer terminal includes a card reader for reading identifying information from a magnetic strip or barcode of a card.  
     
     
         8 . The parking area and management system according to  claim 1 , wherein said first customer terminal includes a card reader for reading identifying information from an identity card carried by a user that is issued by an entity other than a parking area management entity.