Vehicular access barrier arm apparatus and related methods

Abstract

Methods and apparatus are disclosed for helping to prevent vehicular barrier gate arms from lowering in certain situations (such as if an obstruction such as a person is present), while not impacting the primary operation and function of the barrier arm (which is to lower the arm to prevent unauthorized vehicles from entering/exiting an area).

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . Apparatus for vehicular access control, including:
 an access control arm sized and positioned to move between a default closed position (that bars passage by a vehicle) and a temporary open position (that permits passage by a vehicle);   a photo-beam sensor that is active during motion of the control arm from the open position to the closed position, and that, upon interruption, stops/reverses the motion of the control arm; and   a vehicle sensor positioned and configured to determine whether an interruption of the photo-beam sensor has been caused by a vehicle.   
     
     
         2 . A method of vehicular access control, including the steps of:
 providing the apparatus of claim;   operating the apparatus, including using signals from photo-beam sensor and the vehicle sensor to determine whether downward closing motion of the control arm should continue or instead should stop/reverse.