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 - 8 . (canceled) 
     
     
         9 . A management system for an access restricted area, the access restricted area having an entrance and an exit, comprising:
 a control system;   a memory in communication with said control system;   a first barrier having an open condition and a closed condition, said barrier being disposed at the entrance to the access restricted area for controlling access to the access restricted area;   an actuator for moving said first barrier between said open condition and said closed condition; said actuator being in communication with said control system; and said actuator being controlled by said control system;   a first customer terminal disposed at the entrance to the access restricted area, said first customer terminal being in communication with said control system; and said first customer terminal having a customer input means for receiving customer input information; and   said control system being responsive to an input from said first customer terminal to compare the input with predetermined criteria stored in said memory to determine whether the input is deemed a valid input; said control system responding to a valid input by creating a unique identification record and storing it in said memory; said unique identification record permitting a customer access to the access restricted area by causing said first barrier to be in said open condition when the customer inputs said unique identification number at said first customer terminal.   
     
     
         10 . The management system for an access restricted area according to  claim 9 , further comprising;
 a second barrier having an open condition and a closed condition, said second barrier being disposed at a second location of the access restricted area for controlling access at the second location;   a second actuator for moving said second barrier between said open condition and said closed condition, said second actuator being in communication with said control system; and   a second customer terminal disposed at said second location, said second customer terminal being in communication with said control system; wherein input of said unique identification number at said second customer terminal causes said control system to permit access at said second location by causing said second barrier to be in said open position.   said control system being responsive to an input from said second customer terminal to compare the input with the unique identification record stored in said memory; said unique identification record permitting a customer access to the access restricted area by causing said second barrier to be in said open condition when the customer inputs said unique identification number at said second customer terminal.   
     
     
         11 . The access restricted area management system according to  claim 9 , further comprising:
 a camera mounted to observe the entrance to the access restricted area; said camera being in communication with said control system and with said memory, said camera being controllable by said control system to store images in said memory.   
     
     
         12 . The access restricted area management system according to  claim 10 , wherein said control system causes an image or sequence of images of the entrance to the access restricted area to be stored in said memory as part of an event log, if said control system determines that an abnormal entry into the access restricted area occurred. 
     
     
         13 . The parking area management system according to  claim 9 , wherein the customer input information for a valid input is one of a driver's license or a credit card. 
     
     
         14 . The parking area and management system according to  claim 9 , wherein said first customer terminal includes a card reader adapted to read identifying information from a magnetic strip or a barcode of a card. 
     
     
         15 . The parking area management system of  claim 9 , further comprising a plurality of access restricted locations which are access controlled by said control system; and a plurality of customer terminals disposed at respective ones of said plurality of access restricted locations. 
     
     
         16 . The system of  claim 9 , wherein the access controlled area is a parking area, and the entrance is a vehicle entrance. 
     
     
         17 . The system of  claim 9 , wherein the unique identification record includes information obtained from an object presented to the customer terminal. 
     
     
         18 . The system of  claim 9 , wherein the object is an identification card. 
     
     
         19 . The system of  claim 9 , wherein the unique identification record includes information obtained from media readable by the customer terminal. 
     
     
         20 . The system of  claim 9 , further comprising:
 triggering means in communication with said control system for selectively triggering alarms and for selectively controlling cameras when inputs occur which indicate non-normal events.   
     
     
         21 . The system of  claim 9 , wherein if the control system determines that an unusual event has occurred, said control system causes a log of the unusual event to be stored in said memory. 
     
     
         22 . An access restricted area management control system having a first barrier at an entrance to an access restricted area for controlling access controlled area access, and at least one customer terminal for the access controlled area, comprising:
 a means for receiving an input from the at least one terminal and if the input meets predetermined criteria the input, deeming it to be a valid input; and   a means for creating a unique identification record of a customer to permit a customer providing a valid input to any customer terminal to have access at plural access locations to the access controlled area.   
     
     
         23 . The system of  claim 22 , further comprising:
 first and second detectors, and   means for evaluating a sequence of activation of the first and second detectors to determine direction of movement of an object into or out of an entrance of the access controlled area.   
     
     
         24 . The system of  claim 23 , wherein the first and second detectors comprise any of an electric eye and a loop detector. 
     
     
         25 . The system of  claim 22 , further comprising:
 means to selectively trigger alarms and cameras when inputs occur which indicate non-normal events.   
     
     
         26 . The system of  claim 23 , further comprising means for determining whether or not the determined direction of movement constitutes a normal event. 
     
     
         27 . An access restricted area management control method for an access restricted area management control system having a first barrier at an entrance to an access restricted area for controlling access to the access restricted area, the access restricted area having a plurality of access locations which are access restricted, and at least one customer terminal for the access controlled area, comprising the steps of:
 providing the at least one customer terminal;   providing a control system and a memory in communication with said at least one customer terminal;   receiving an input from the at least one terminal;   using said control system and said memory to compare said input with predetermined criteria to determine whether said input is deemed a valid input; and   creating a unique identification record of a customer to permit a customer providing a valid input to any customer terminal to have access at plural access locations to the access controlled area.   
     
     
         28 . The method of  claim 27 , further comprising the steps of:
 providing first and second detectors for detecting movement at an entrance to the access restricted area;   using said control system to evaluate a sequence of activation of the first and second detectors to determine direction of movement of an object into or out of an entrance of the access controlled area.   
     
     
         29 . The system of  claim 27 , wherein the access controlled area is a parking area, the object is a vehicle, and the entrance is a vehicle entrance. 
     
     
         30 . The system of  claim 27 , wherein the unique identification record includes information obtained from media readable by the customer terminal. 
     
     
         31 . The system of  claim 27 , wherein the unique identification record includes information obtained from an object presented to the customer terminal. 
     
     
         32 . The system of  claim 31 , wherein the object is an identification card.