TITLE OF THE INVENTION
VEHICLE IDENTIFICATION SYSTEM AND
METHOD OF USING SAME
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS
Not applicable
STATEMENT REGARDING FEDERALLY SPONSORED
RESEARCH OR DEVELOPMENT
Not Applicable
REFERENCE TO A "MICROFICHE APPENDDT
Not Applicable
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
Technical Field
This invention relates in general to a vehicle identification system, and it
more particularly relates to a system and method for automatically permitting
access of a vehicle to a protected area based on the identification of the vehicle
against a database of registered users.
Background Art
There have been a variety of electronic identification systems used for a
number of different applications. For example, reference may be made to U.S.
patents 5,184,132; 5,475,377; 5,629,981 and 5,905,247, as well as Japanese patent
9297900A.
One type of such a system is a parking security system. Typical parking
security systems currently available require the use of either a handheld electronic
device (such as a commercially available garage door opener or a magnetic
security card) or a sequence of key strokes by the driver at a centrally located
keypad. Such techniques have significant disadvantages in both convenience of
use and basic security of the system.
A system with a typical garage door opener can be duplicated by an
unauthorized person desiring to gain access to the secured parking facility or area.
Such devices employ radio transmissions on frequency bands which are used on
many commercially available products, thereby making the technology almost
common knowledge. Manufacturers provide equipment on these bands because
the equipment does not require FCC licensing by the manufacturer or user.
Property managers distribute these devices to their tenants. It is common for
tenants to "loan" their opening device to a visitor. Such "loaning" of devices
defeats the purpose of having a secured area. This type of activity, which is
common, prevents management from insuring that visitors check with on-site
security for proper entry onto the property. Such devices often do not have any
unique coding for identification of the user or device.
The second problem that is common with handheld garage door opener
electronic devices is that they are frequently lost by the tenant. Replacements are
issued, but the occurrence of loss is so frequent that changing the frequency code
of the garage door opening control system and each issued opener becomes a labor
and financial burden to the property management company. Thus, many months or
years go by with no changes to the code causing security issues to begin to arise.
The third problem with such electronic devices is the constant turn over of
residents. As new residents move in, others are moving out. Many times new
openers have to be issued because the departing tenant cannot find his issued
opener and is many times located during the unpacking at the new residence. The
problem arises again with codes not being changed or lost cards not being
deactivated.
Using a keypad with a special code is a very expensive approach. Also,
many of the same security issues are faced because the code can be passed to other
individuals. Unless the property management company changes the code with
each new tenant, the advantages of a security entry system quickly deteriorates.
Another kind of vehicle identification system relates to the use of a passive
radio frequency identification tag which is positioned within a vehicle. Such tags
are manufactured by Texas Instruments and are marketed by Sentinel LD Systems,
Inc. of Piano, Texas. One application for such a system is intended for use in
public parking facilities, such as hospital parking areas, office building garages,
and airport parking lots. A barrier gate is lifted to permit access to an authorized
vehicle when a reader having a large loop antenna disposed in an upright manner
adjacent to the entrance lane transmits energy to the window-mounted passive
identification tag. An identity code is then sent from the tag to the reader via its
loop antenna. If the identity is of an authorized vehicle, the reader causes the gate
to be raised to permit access to the parking facility.
However, the window mounted tag is visible from outside the vehicle, and
thus is subject to being taken from the vehicle by an unauthorized individual who
could then use the misappropriated tag on his or her own vehicle to enter the secure
parking area. Thus, the integrity of the secure area could be violated. Also, the
person who has misappropriated the tag, could therefore gain access to confidential
information such as credit card information stored in the passive stage.
Additionally, the large antenna loop is subject to being vandalized.
Therefore, it would be highly desirable to have a new and improved vehicle
identification system which overcomes the foregoing problems and is relatively
less expensive to manufacture.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
Therefore, principal object of the present invention is to provide a new and
improved vehicle identification system, which is a more secure and convenient to
use system for a variety of applications.
Briefly, the above and further objects of the present inventions are realized
by providing a new and improved vehicle identification system for use in a variety
of applications in a secure manner and at a relatively low cost of manufacture.
The new vehicle identification system includes a radio frequency
identification tag or transceiver mounted inconspicuously on the outside of a
vehicle. The vehicle travels over a buried loop antenna interfaced to a reader
system for determining the identity of the vehicle.
Since the tag is mounted inconspicuously, such as on the undercarriage of
the vehicle, the tag is not subject to misappropriation, since it is not visible to the
casual observer. The loop antenna is also not visible to an observer, and thus the
antenna is not subject to being vandalized.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS
The above mentioned and other objects and features of this invention and the
manner of attaining them will become apparent, and the invention itself will be
best understood by reference to the following description of the embodiment of the
invention in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, wherein:
FIG. 1 is a diagrammatic view of a vehicle identification system which is
constructed in accordance with the present invention;
FIG. 2 is a symbolic block diagram of the system of FIG. 1 ;
FIG. 3 is an enlarged diagrammatic detail view of the radio frequency tag of
FIG. 1, illustrating the manner of attachment to the vehicle; and
FIG. 4 is an enlarged sectional view of the loop antenna, illustrating the
manner of mounting the antenna within the roadway or pathway.
FIG. 5 is an enlarged diagrammatic detail view of another radio frequency
tag of FIG. 1 , illustrating the manner of attachment to the vehicle; and
FIG. 6 is an enlarged diagrammatic detail view of another radio frequency
tag of FIG. 1 , illustrating the manner of attachment to the vehicle
BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION
Referring now to the drawings, and more particularly to FIG. 1, there is
shown a vehicle identification system 10, which is constructed according to the
present invention. The system 10 has many different applications including, but
not limited to, pre-paid parking lot facilities, condominium and apartment
complexes with secured parking areas, rental car agencies, hospital employee
parking facilities, government employee parking facilities, airport employee
parking facilities, industrial parking facilities with controlled employee parking
areas, business office complexes having secured parking faciUties, quick service
restaurants with drive-through and drive-in service facilities for frequent dining
identification, and petroleum company service stations.
As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the system 10 includes a group of radio
frequency identification tags or radio frequency transceivers, such as a tag 12
mounted inconspicuously on the underside of the outside of a vehicle 14 to conceal
the tag 12 from view. Each tag is adapted to be mounted on and individually
identify its vehicle. The tag may either be active tags or passive tags, although
active tags are being currently preferred. The tag 12 is secured by an attachment
device, such as a magnet (15 (FIG. 3), nuts and bolts generally indicated at 90 and
91 of FIG 5 for a like tag 12A, or an adhesive 92 (FIG. 6) for a like tag 12B, to a
portion of the vehicle, such as a portion 17 of the undercarriage of the vehicle 14.
A reader 16 having a front detection loop antenna 18 buried under an access
roadway or pathway 21 leading to a secure parking area (not shown) or the like
communicates with the tag 12 to help identify the vehicle 14 as being authorized or
not. If the vehicle 14 is authorized, a barrier gate 27 of an access gate system 23
at the point of entry into the secure area, is raised to permit access to the vehicle 14
in response to a signal received from the reader 16. The tag 12 is polled by the
reader 16, which accesses the tag's identification code and communicates this
information to a controller 25. The controller 25 has a database of information
stored within its memory (not shown) and compares the received number to the
database to determine if the number is valid and authorized for entry as determined
by other criteria such as time of day. If so, a signal is sent to the gate control
system 23 to open or close a gate or door 27.
By utilizing the inventive system 10 for apartment or office facilities, tenants
are not required to carry electronic devices or remember entry codes. The tenant is
not able to "loan" his or her device or code to someone else. Therefore, all non¬
residents of the facility are required to enter the property through a designated
proper security entry (not shown) and are denied entry to the secure parking area.
In order to poll the tag on the passing vehicle 14, a query signal is
transmitted from the reader 16 to the tag 12 via the buried loop antenna 18. The
loop antenna 18 is located in front of the entry gate or other access point. It is
either buried under the pavement of the pathway 21 , or otherwise installed within
the pavement of the pathway 21 by saw cutting a trace or channel such as the
channel 28 (FIG. 4) for the antenna 18. After inserting the antenna into the trace or
channel 28, it is then covered with a sealant, such as a sealant 30 (FIG. 4). The tag
12 transmits its response back to the reader 16 via the same loop antenna 18. A
second detection loop antenna 29 may be buried in the pathway 21 spaced from the
front loop 18 on the secure side of the gate 27. The antenna 29 is buried according
to the same technique used for burying the antenna 18. The adjacent loop detector
antenna 29 insures that the information is transmitted back to a reader 31 as the
vehicle 14 continues to travel along the pathway 21 beyond the barrier gate 27
which then closes after the vehicle has gained access to the protected area.
The second loop antenna 29 and its associated reader 31 may also be used to
identify a vehicle that is moving to exit the secure area.
As shown in FIG. 2, once the reader 16 receives a coded signal from the tag
12 via the front loop antenna 18, the coded signal is sensed by the reader's radio
frequency input circuit 33 via leads 35, and decoded by a microcontroller 37 via a
lead 39 to convert the input analog signal to a digital signal for transmission via a
serial interface output or link 42 connected to the microcontroller via a lead 44. A
lead 46 couples the serial output signal to the system controller 25.
Under the control of software resident in the system controller 25, the
controller polls all readers such as the readers 16 and 31, interfaced to the
controller 25 on a routine basis. If a tag has been detected, its identification code is
transmitted from the tag, to the reader, such as the reader 16 and then to the system
controller 25 over the serial interface link or input/output 42. This code is
compared to the information stored within the system database stored in the
controller 25 of information for validation. If the code is validated, then through
the same serial communication link 42, the system controller 25 sends a signal
indicating authorization to the specific reader that detected the tag code.
This signal sent to the reader 16 is a command sequence that informs the
reader 16 to activate a control relay 51 via a lead 53. The control relay 51 is
interfaced to an entry gate electronic control 54, and provides the signal needed for
the gate system 23 to open the gate 27.
The system 10 employs a signal messaging method or scheme, whereby the
reader 16 sends a poll signal burst at a pulse width equal to an integer number of
cycles of the RF carrier. The reader 16 enters a receive mode for an equal pulse
width of a similar integer number of cycles. If the tag 12 detects this poll signal
burst, the tag 12 transmits an acknowledgment signal burst of data. If the reader 16
receives this acknowledge burst, the reader 16 responds with an interrogate signal
burst of pulses. The reader 16 then enters a receive mode for a period of time.
When the tag 12 receives this interrogate signal burst, the tag 12 sends a predefined
number of distinct bursts of data, the last burst being a finish signal burst. Upon
receiving this signal burst, the reader 16 again begins to transmit routine poll signal
bursts.
During the reader receive mode, the data received via radio frequency from
the radio frequency identification is decoded and output as digital data. That data
is either input into the microcontroller 37 within the reader 16 for decision making
processes, or converted to a serial data stream for output to the controller 25. The
controller 25 can be a microcontroller based unit, a standard personal computer, or
a rniniarure or large mainframe computer.
The reader 16 is capable of detecting the presence of the vehicle 14, even if
the vehicle does not have a radio frequency identification tag. The presence of the
vehicle is translated to a signal to be used by the system 10 for whatever purpose is
useful to the owner of the parking facility. An intrusion device 85, such as a
camera system, an annunciation alarm, or a display message, is triggered via the
microcontroller, such as the microcontroller 37 of the reader 16 to confront the
driver of the vehicle that he or she is not authorized to enter the secured area.
While particular embodiments of the present invention have been disclosed,
it is to be understood that various different modifications are possible and are
contemplated within the true spirit and scope of the appended claims. There is no
intention, therefore, of limitations to the exact abstract or disclosure herein
presented.