Cushioned barricade with crowd surge monitoring and alert system

Abstract

A crowd control system includes a barricade having a rigid frame, and a crowd-pressure sensing mechanism mounted to a crowd-facing side of the frame. A crowd-adjacent surface of the sensing mechanism is spaced a variable distance from the crowd-facing side of the frame. The sensing mechanism has a resistance to a decrease in the variable distance and includes a cushion disposed on at least the crowd-facing side of the frame, a sensor configured to obtain a crowd pressure measurement, and a transmitter in communication with the crowd pressure sensor for transmitting a first signal corresponding to the crowd pressure measurement. A controller in communication with the transmitter is configured to determine if the first signal is above a threshold, and to send a second signal communicative to a respective receiver that is configured to initiate a response to the second signal.

What is claimed: 
     
         1 . A crowd control system, the system comprising:
 a cushion comprising a compressible foam configured to be disposed on a crowd-facing side of a barricade comprising a rigid frame,   a crowd-pressure sensing mechanism embodied by or connected to the cushion, the crowd-pressure sensing mechanism having a crowd-adjacent surface configured to be spaced a variable distance from the crowd-facing side of the barricade frame, the crowd-pressure sensing mechanism having a resistance to a decrease in the variable distance, the crowd-pressure sensing mechanism comprising:
 at least one pressure sensor configured to obtain a crowd pressure measurement that is based on the decrease in variable distance, the crowd-pressure sensing mechanism comprising at least two members spaced apart from one another by a distance proportional to the variable distance, and one or more springs disposed between the two members; 
 at least one transmitter in communication with the at least one pressure sensor for transmitting a first signal corresponding to the crowd pressure measurement; 
   a controller in communication with the at least one transmitter, the controller configured to receive the first signal corresponding to the crowd pressure measurement, to determine if the detected crowd pressure is above a predetermined threshold, and to initiate a response upon a determination that the crowd pressure is above the predetermined threshold.   
     
     
         2 . The crowd control system of  claim 1 , wherein the initiated response is selected from the group consisting of:
 a) transmitting a second signal to a receiver in communication with a system responsive to receipt the second signal;   b) transmitting a notification to a mobile device;   c) causing a light or a camera to activate;   d) causing a change in at least one characteristic of the crowd-pressure sensing mechanism;   e) a combination of one of more of a)-d).   
     
     
         3 . The crowd control system of  claim 1 , wherein the resistance to the decrease in the variable distance is variable over the variable distance. 
     
     
         4 . The crowd control system of  claim 1 , wherein the at least one transmitter in communication with the at least one pressure sensor is configured to send the first signal in response to the at least one pressure sensor detecting a crowd pressure exceeding the predetermined threshold, and the controller is configured to determine the detected crowd pressure is above the predetermined threshold based upon receipt of the first signal. 
     
     
         5 . The crowd control system of  claim 1 , wherein the at least one pressure sensor comprises a push button sensor switch comprising the at least two members spaced apart from one another and the one or more springs disposed between the two members. 
     
     
         6 . The crowd control system of  claim 5 , wherein the barricade comprises one or more structural components defining one or more open areas including a first open area aligned with the push button sensor, further comprising at least one barricade-facing pressure distribution member configured to span the first open area to distribute pressure exerted by the push button sensor onto the one or more structural members that define the first open area, optionally further comprising a at least one crowd-facing pressure distribution panel disposed between the at least one pressure sensor and the crowd. 
     
     
         7 . The crowd control system of  claim 1 , the system further comprising the barricade having a rigid frame. 
     
     
         8 . The crowd control system of  claim 7 , further comprising at least one light mounted on the barricade and visible from the crowd-facing side of the frame, wherein the change to the at least one characteristic of the barricade includes illumination of the light. 
     
     
         9 . The crowd control system of  claim 8 , wherein the at least one light includes a steady or flashing alarm light, a crowd illumination light, or a combination thereof. 
     
     
         10 . The crowd control system of  claim 9 , wherein the barricade includes a light pole having at least one light mounting location elevated above a top elevation of the rigid frame, and the at least one light is mounted to the at least one light mounting location. 
     
     
         11 . The crowd control system of  claim 7 , further comprising at least one crowd-facing camera mounted to the barricade. 
     
     
         12 . The crowd control system of  claim 11 , wherein the change to the at least one characteristic of the barricade includes activating the at least one crowd-facing camera. 
     
     
         13 . The crowd control system of  claim 7 , wherein the resistance to the decrease in the variable distance is variable over the variable distance. 
     
     
         14 . The crowd control system of  claim 13 , wherein the change to the at least one characteristic of the barricade comprises a change in the resistance to the decrease in the variable distance. 
     
     
         15 . The crowd control system of  claim 14 , wherein the change in the at least one characteristic of the barricade further comprises at least one of illumination of at least one light, activation of a crowd-facing camera, or a combination thereof. 
     
     
         16 . The crowd control system of  claim 7 , further comprising:
 a plurality of the barricades interlocked with one another to define a line of barricades;   a communications network connected the controller and to at least one mobile device; and   a central monitoring system connected to the communications network and the controller, the central monitoring system including a display for visualizing the crowd pressure measurement corresponding to the first signal from each of the plurality of barricades and an alert system configured to send an alert to the at least one mobile device.   
     
     
         17 . The crowd control system of  claim 16 , wherein the alert system further comprises at least one of:
 a user interface configured to cause the controller to send the second signal, the alert, or a combination thereof, in response to a user input, and   non-transitory computer memory media connected to the controller and programmed with machine-readable instructions for causing the controller to automatically send the second signal, the alert, or a combination thereof based upon the received value of the first signal.   
     
     
         18 . The crowd control system of  claim 7 , wherein the crowd pressure measurement obtained by the crowd pressure sensor is based upon the decrease in variable distance. 
     
     
         19 . A method of providing crowd control, the method comprising the steps of:
 a) providing the crowd control system of  claim 7 ;   b) detecting a crowd pressure exceeding the predetermined threshold;   c) initiating the response.   
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 19 , wherein the crowd control system comprises a plurality of barricades, a plurality of cushions embodying a plurality of crowd-pressure sensing mechanisms comprising a plurality of transmitters each connected to one or more pressure sensors, a plurality of warning lights disposed on a non-crowd-facing side of the plurality of barricades, and a wireless network in communication with the plurality of transmitters and the controller, wherein the method includes receiving the first signal from a first transmitter in the plurality of transmitters and the response includes sending a wireless signal to one of the plurality of warning lights associated with the first transmitter.