Gate system and drive device for a gate system

Abstract

The present invention relates to a gate system and a drive device for a gate system, in particular the present invention relates to a vehicle gate system for a hospital. The object of the present invention is to propose a gate system, particularly for sensitive areas such as hospitals, which efficiently avoids the aforementioned problems. In particular, a gate system for a hospital is to be proposed that ensures the safe and rapid passage of ambulances with high reliability, i.e., with a low probability of malfunction or failure. The gate system comprises a movable locking element (18), a drive element (20) and a control unit (20), wherein the locking element (18) can be moved by means of the drive element (20) between a first position in which the travel path (12) is at least partially blocked by the locking element (18) and a second position in which the locking element (18) releases the travel path (12), and wherein the control unit (20) is configured to receive an acoustic signal (22) and, in response to the acoustic signal (22), to move the locking element (18) to the second position.

Description

[0001] The present invention relates to a gate system and a control system for a gate system, in particular the present invention relates to a vehicle gate system for a hospital. State of the art

[0002] Ambulances must transport patients to a hospital as quickly as possible in emergencies. Often, this requires driving onto the hospital grounds first, and access to the grounds is regularly controlled by a gate system, such as a barrier or a gatepost.

[0003] The gate can be opened manually, for example by a gatekeeper or using a remote control, or automatically, for example by means of vehicle detection via a camera.

[0004] However, the disadvantages of the known solutions are their susceptibility to malfunctions and their probability of failure. For example, in the case of manual opening of the gate system, delays can occur if either the operator reacts slowly or the remote controls fail, for instance due to interference with the radio signals or a dead battery in the remote control. In the case of automatic opening of the gate system, sensor failures or errors in image generation or recognition can occur.

[0005] US patent 2013 / 0204458A1 discloses a system for communication between vehicles and infrastructure using a so-called "smart horn." The smart horn transmits acoustic signals with embedded data in an "inaudible spectrum" (16-20 kHz) that is inaudible to the human ear. These signals are not intended to be heard by humans in order to avoid additional noise pollution.

[0006] DE 10 2015 211 642 B3 concerns a system for communication between a vehicle and external devices, in particular for displaying vehicle states (e.g. charging or parking status) via a wireless communication device that transmits information to external output devices such as smart home components or mobile devices.

[0007] The object of the present invention is therefore to propose a gate system, particularly for emergency operations and corresponding sensitive areas such as hospitals, which efficiently avoids the aforementioned problems. In particular, a gate system for a hospital is to be proposed that ensures the safe and rapid passage of ambulances with high reliability, i.e., with low susceptibility to malfunctions or a low probability of failure. Summary of the invention

[0008] This problem is solved by a gate system with the features of claim 1. Preferred embodiments are disclosed in the dependent claims.

[0009] According to one aspect of the present invention, a gate system for a roadway is disclosed, comprising a movable locking element, a drive element, and a control system, wherein the locking element can be moved by means of the drive element between a first position in which the roadway is at least partially blocked by the locking element and a second position in which the locking element releases the roadway, wherein the control system is configured to receive an acoustic signal and, in response to the acoustic signal, to move the locking element to the second position, wherein the acoustic signal is the signal of an emergency horn of an authority and / or organization with security responsibilities.

[0010] The idea of ​​the present invention is to create an (preferably) additional opening option for gate systems, particularly for emergency vehicles of authorities and / or organizations with security responsibilities, for example, ambulances, police vehicles, and fire engines. This ensures that emergency services can reach locations such as hospitals or accident scenes more quickly because the gate system according to the invention, for example, a barrier or gate at a hospital, opens automatically and therefore reliably when a special signal, such as the siren of an ambulance, is activated.

[0011] It is preferably provided that the gate system according to the invention does not open upon the reception of any acoustic signals, but only upon the reception of special signal tones (so-called special signals) which are signals from an emergency horn of an authority and / or organization with security tasks.

[0012] Preferably, the acoustic signal is a special acoustic signal. Preferably, the acoustic signal is the signal of a siren according to DIN 14610. Preferably, the acoustic signal is the signal of a siren or a yelp signal.

[0013] The locking element can preferably be a barrier, a gate, a door, a roller gate or a swing gate.

[0014] The first position is preferably a closed position in which the travel path is completely blocked. The second position is preferably an open position in which the travel path is completely clear. Alternatively, however, it is possible that the travel path is partially blocked in both the first and second positions. In any case, the first position blocks a larger portion of the travel path than the second position, preferably along a main direction of travel. The travel path is preferably a road or path that can be traversed by a vehicle, in particular a motor vehicle. The travel path preferably has one or more lanes. It is also possible that the travel path has multiple lanes and the gate system only opens or closes one (or a portion of) the lane.Opening a travel path preferably means that the locking element is arranged such that the travel path has a free (drivable) width of more than 2 meters in the area of ​​the locking element. Closing a travel path preferably means that the locking element is arranged such that the travel path has a free (drivable) width of less than 0.5 meters in the area of ​​the locking element.

[0015] The drive element is preferably a motor that is operatively connected to the locking element and designed to move the locking element, possibly with the assistance of other elements such as a gearbox, both from the first position to the second position (=opening the gate system) and from the second position to the first position (=closing the gate system).

[0016] The control is preferably an electrical or electronic circuit, which preferably has a sensor configured to receive (detect) an acoustic signal, wherein the circuit is configured to generate a control signal for the drive element in response to the detection of a (specific) acoustic signal in order to move the locking element into the second position (open position or opening state).

[0017] Preferably, the control system is configured to open the gate when the received acoustic signal, which is a special signal, has a volume exceeding 70 dB(A) (also referred to as decibels). This is advantageous because opening the gate is only necessary when a vehicle is in close proximity. Since the special signals of ambulances, etc., are very loud—for example, a siren measures approximately 110 decibels at a distance of 1–5 meters and approximately 100 decibels at a distance of 20 meters—it is advantageous to open the gate only for special signals with a sufficient volume, as opening the gate for emergency vehicles further away would be unnecessary.In a particularly preferred embodiment, the control system is designed to cause the gate system to open only if the received acoustic signal has a volume of more than 75 dB(A), more preferably more than 80 dB(A) and even more preferably more than 85 dB(A).

[0018] Preferably, the gate system, and preferably its control unit, is configured to determine the distance between the source of the acoustic signal and the gate system based on the volume of the acoustic signal. Preferably, the gate system, and preferably its control unit, is configured to move the locking element to the second position if the determined distance falls below a first limit value. The first limit value is preferably 300 meters, more preferably 200 meters, even more preferably 100 meters, even more preferably 50 meters, and even more preferably 30 meters.

[0019] Preferably, the gate system, and preferably its control unit, is configured to determine the approach of the acoustic signal source relative to the gate system based on the change in the volume of the acoustic signal over time. Preferably, the gate system, and preferably its control unit, is configured to move the locking element into the second position as the acoustic signal source approaches the gate system. Preferably, the gate system, and preferably its control unit, is configured to move the locking element into the second position as the acoustic signal source approaches the gate system at a speed exceeding a second threshold value. This threshold value is preferably 10 km / h, more preferably 20 km / h, even more preferably 30 km / h, even more preferably 40 km / h, and even more preferably 50 km / h.

[0020] Preferably the gate system, preferably the control system, is designed to move the locking element into the second position if the specified distance falls below a first limit value and at the same time the source of the acoustic signal approaches the gate system at a speed exceeding a second limit value.

[0021] Furthermore, in the event of an emergency or similar incident, it is advantageous to use an emergency siren from a security authority near a safety-relevant gate system according to the invention to transmit information about this event to more distant locations, such as an emergency operations center or an on-call service at a hospital, so that these locations are informed early about the imminent arrival of an ambulance and can take appropriate precautions. For this purpose, the control system is designed to receive an acoustic signal and, in response to the acoustic signal, both move the locking element to the second position and generate a signal about the event. Preferably, the signal is transmitted wirelessly or via a wired connection through the gate system. Preferably, the signal is sent to an emergency operations center or an on-call service at a hospital (or similar institution).a security authority / organization). Preferably, the signal is transmitted successively at a repetition rate of 0.1 Hz or more. Preferably, the signal contains information about the distance of the acoustic signal source from the gate system. Preferably, the signal contains information about the approach of the acoustic signal source relative to the gate system. Preferably, the signal contains information about the speed of the acoustic signal source relative to the gate system. Preferably, the signal is transmitted to multiple receivers.

[0022] As already explained, gate systems should preferably have an additional opening option that ensures reliable and rapid opening of the gate system in the event of an emergency or the use of emergency vehicles with sirens (horns, etc.), regardless of the regular means used to open and close the gate system.

[0023] The gate system is designed to receive a non-acoustic signal and, in response to this signal, move the locking element to the first or second position (the standard opening and closing mechanism). Preferably, the control system is designed to move the locking element to the second position in response to an acoustic signal and to suspend movement of the locking element by a non-acoustic signal (the standard opening and closing mechanism) for a predetermined period. This is advantageous because opening the gate system in an emergency, such as when a siren is used, takes priority, and therefore other signals, such as a remote control signal to close the gate system, should be suppressed. This ensures that the gate system is actually opened and remains open for a specific (predetermined) period.The specified time period is preferably at least 20 seconds, more preferably at least 60 seconds, and even more preferably at least 5 minutes.

[0024] According to a further aspect of the present invention, a control system for a gate system is disclosed, wherein the control system is configured to receive an acoustic signal and, in response to the acoustic signal, to actuate a drive element such that a locking element of the gate system is moved into the open position, wherein the acoustic signal is the signal of an emergency siren of an authority and / or organization with security responsibilities. The control system according to the invention further preferably has all features that are disclosed (insofar as technically possible) in connection with the gate system. Brief description of the images

[0025] The invention is explained in more detail below with reference to exemplary embodiments. The figures shown are: Fig. 1 a gate system according to the invention, in which the locking element is in a closed position (first position), and Fig. 2 the gate system according to the invention, in which the locking element is in an open position (second position). Detailed description of the illustrations

[0026] Fig. Figure 1 shows a gate system according to the invention, in which the locking element 18 is in a closed position (first position).

[0027] Many hospitals have an access road (12) that connects to a public road (10). An ambulance (14) (or other authorized vehicle) travels, for example, as in Fig. 1 evidently with a (not shown patient) from an incident site to the hospital so that the patient can be cared for.

[0028] Conventionally, the gate system, which prevents unauthorized access to the hospital grounds, has a movable locking element 18 (direction of movement indicated by a double arrow), for example a roller gate (alternatively a barrier or the like). In order for the ambulance 14 to enter the hospital grounds secured by a fence 17, the gate system must be opened, i.e., the roller gate 18 must be moved from a closed position ( Fig. 1) into an open position ( Fig. 2) be moved. This is conventionally done by a gatekeeper or an automated mechanism, for example, a detector for a chip card, transponder, remote control, or the like. However, these systems can fail, for example, because the gate system's sensor (for the chip card, transponder, or remote control signal) is defective or because of operator error.

[0029] The gate system according to the invention offers the advantage that the emergency vehicle has an (ideally) additional means of opening the gate system by triggering an acoustic special signal 22, i.e., by activating the siren. This avoids unnecessary delays, such as those that can occur when using the aforementioned non-acoustic signals to open the gate system.

[0030] In this case, the gate system comprises a drive element 16, i.e., a motor, and a control unit 20, i.e., an electrical circuit with an acoustic sensor. The acoustic sensor continuously detects ambient noise from the gate system and opens the gate system by means of the motor if a special signal 22, such as an ambulance siren, with a volume of at least 70 decibels is detected. This prevents unauthorized opening of the gate system by other road users, for example, by honking a car horn.The control system is designed to open and close the gate using regular opening methods, such as a chip card, transponder, remote control, or similar devices. Furthermore, upon detecting a siren signal exceeding, for example, 70 decibels, the control system will open the gate (preferably immediately), regardless of other control signals from the regular opening methods. This prevents the siren of a distant ambulance from unintentionally opening the gate. It also prevents a delay in opening the gate if the regular opening mechanisms fail due to the siren.

[0031] After the siren signal 22 has been received by the control unit 20, the barrier 18 of the gate system is opened. Fig.Figure 2 shows the gate system according to the invention, in which the locking element (roller gate) 18 is in an open position (second position). After the gate system has been opened according to the invention, the ambulance 14 can enter the hospital grounds. The gate system can also be used for exiting in the same way. Alternatively, it is possible to configure the gate system for other specific special signals of vehicles of the police or other authorities and / or organizations with security tasks. Reference symbol list 10 Street 12 Access 14 vehicles 16 Drive element 17 Fence 18 Locking element 20 Control 22 acoustic special signal

Claims

[1] Gate system for a travel path (12) with a movable locking element (18), a drive element (20) and a control system (20), wherein the locking element (18) can be moved by means of the drive element (20) between a first position in which the travel path (12) is at least partially blocked by the locking element (18) and a second position in which the locking element (18) releases the travel path (12), wherein the control (20) is configured to receive an acoustic signal (22) and, in response to the acoustic signal (22), to move the locking element (18) into the second position, characterized by , that the acoustic signal (22) is the signal of an emergency horn of an authority and / or organisation with security tasks. [2] Gate system according to claim 1, wherein the acoustic signal (22) is a special acoustic signal. [3] Gate system according to one of the preceding claims, wherein the acoustic signal (22) is the signal of a siren according to DIN 14610. [4] Gate system according to one of the preceding claims, wherein the control causes the gate system to open when the received acoustic signal (22) has a volume of more than 70 dB(A). [5] Gate system according to one of the preceding claims, comprising a sensor for detecting the acoustic signal (22). [6] Gate system according to claim 5, wherein the distance of the sensor from the locking element (18) is less than 20 meters. [7] Gate system according to one of the preceding claims, wherein the control (20) is additionally configured to receive a non-acoustic signal and, in response to the non-acoustic signal, to move the locking element (18) to the second position. [8] Gate system according to claim 7, wherein the control (20) is configured to move the locking element (18) to the second position in response to the acoustic signal (22) and to suspend movement of the locking element (18) by means of a non-acoustic signal for a predetermined period of time. [9] Control unit (20) for a gate system, wherein the control unit (20) is configured to receive an acoustic signal (22) and, in response to the acoustic signal (22), to control a drive element (16) of the gate system such that a locking element (18) of the gate system is moved into an open position, characterized by , that the acoustic signal (22) is the signal of an emergency horn of an authority and / or organisation with security tasks.

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