Method for controlling entry to or exit from an area, and access control system

Abstract

The invention relates to a method for controlling entry to or exit from an area, wherein an access control station (1) is installed at the entry to and / or the exit from the area and is configured, on the basis of an optoelectronic code (3) that can be read from a ticket (2), to leave an obstacle (5), blocking entry to or exit from the area for a vehicle (4), on a particular route or to temporarily remove said obstacle from the route in order to enable the journey. The method according to the invention is characterized in that the optoelectronic code (3) is read from a mobile terminal (6) by means of optical capture means (7) within the vehicle (4), and the mobile terminal (6) wirelessly transmits coding matching the optoelectronic code (3) to the access control station (1) at least once.

Description

[0001] Procedures for controlling entry or exit into or from an area and access control system

[0002] The invention relates to a method for controlling entry or exit into or from an area according to the type defined in more detail in the preamble of claim 1 and to an access control system for carrying out the method.

[0003] Entry and exit to parking garages or toll roads is typically controlled by a barrier. If a user wishes to enter the parking garage, they can swipe a parking ticket at a terminal on the barrier, which then opens the barrier. The user can then pay the parking ticket at a pay machine and drive their vehicle to the exit. At the exit, there is also a barrier into which the parking ticket can be inserted. The barrier reads the parking ticket and checks whether the parking fee has been paid. If this is the case, the barrier opens, allowing the user to exit the parking garage.

[0004] The disadvantage is that the user must either lean far out of their window to receive the parking ticket or insert it into a corresponding reading slot in the barrier at the exit. If the user drives too close to the barrier, there is a risk of damage to the vehicle. For example, if the vehicle hits the barrier, a curb, or a crash barrier, the wheel rims could be scratched or the vehicle's bumpers could be dented.

[0005] To avoid these problems, EP 2 835 788 A1 discloses a method for controlling entry and exit to parking garages and parking facilities. This document describes the replacement of physical parking tickets with electronic tickets that are sent to a user's mobile device. A server mediates between the parking infrastructure and the user's mobile device. Implementing the method disclosed in the document requires a server. This increases the effort required to provide the method and thus also the costs. If the communication connection between the parking infrastructure and / or the mobile device and the server is limited, entry and exit cannot be properly controlled, meaning that the respective barrier cannot open. This prevents the user from continuing their journey.

[0006] The present invention is based on the object of providing an improved method for controlling entry or exit into or from an area.

[0007] According to the invention, this object is achieved by a method for controlling entry or exit into or from an area having the features of claim 1. Advantageous embodiments and further developments as well as an access control system for implementing the method emerge from the dependent claims.

[0008] A generic method for controlling entry or exit into or out of an area, wherein an access control station is installed at the entrance to and / or the exit from the area, which access control station is designed to leave an obstacle blocking entry into or exit from the area for a vehicle in a respective travel path or to temporarily remove it from the travel path to allow travel, depending on an optoelectronic code readable from a ticket, is further developed according to the invention in that the optoelectronic code is read by a mobile terminal by means of optical detection means within the vehicle and the mobile terminal wirelessly sends a code matching the optoelectronic code at least once to the access control station.

[0009] Because the optoelectronic code applied to the ticket is already read in the vehicle, the ticket does not have to be first fed to the access control station or a suitable reading device at the access control station in order to remove the obstacle from the path. Accordingly, the user does not have to lean out of their window or drive particularly close to the access control station. This improves comfort for the user and reduces the risk of damage to both the vehicle and the access control station. The use of physical tickets is still possible, eliminating the need for additional dedicated components such as servers or other cloud computing systems, thus enabling the method according to the invention to be implemented simply and cost-effectively.The access control station and the mobile device simply need to be capable of wireless communication, which requires the provision of appropriate communication tools. However, this involves comparatively little effort and cost.

[0010] The area could be, for example, a parking garage, a toll road section, a company premises, or the like. The ticket can be made of any conceivable material, especially paper, preferably thermal paper. The optoelectronic code can be any form of visually encoded information, such as QR codes, bar codes, matrix codes, and the like. The corresponding optoelectronic code can be applied to the ticket when it is swiped, for example, by printing, in particular by deliberately heating the thermal paper. This can reduce the cost of the tickets compared to traditional parking tickets with magnetic strips.

[0011] The obstacle could be, for example, a barrier, a hydraulically raising and lowering cylinder, a geofence, or something similar. A vehicle can easily "drive through" such a geofence. However, if the vehicle is not authorized to pass the geofence, passing through the geofence may result in a penalty, such as a monetary penalty, if the "obstacle is left in the path of travel." If the "obstacle is removed from the path of travel," the vehicle can pass through the geofence without incurring a penalty.

[0012] The user can use a smartphone, tablet computer, laptop, or similar device as a mobile device. Appropriate software, nowadays usually referred to as an application in this context, is run on the mobile device. The mobile device reads the optoelectronic code and determines the coding stored in the optoelectronic code. The mobile device then transmits this information wirelessly to the access control station, so that the coding linked to the optoelectronic code is transmitted to the access control station. The access control station can then decide, for example by manually feeding the ticket to a corresponding reader at the access control station, whether the obstacle must be left in the path of travel or can be removed. The ticket can, for example, be swiped at a corresponding access control station when entering the premises.This is the case, for example, when entering a parking garage or a toll road. The ticket can also be provided by a service provider and can be checked both upon entry and exit. This is the case, for example, if the area is a hotel's underground car park or a company premises. The hotel operator or company can issue the ticket to the user and check it at least upon entry or additionally upon exit using the access control station.

[0013] All conceivable wireless communication technologies, especially radio-based ones, can be used for the wireless exchange of information between the mobile device and the access control station.

[0014] An advantageous development of the method according to the invention provides for the use of a camera as the optical detection means. Generally, a wide variety of optical detection means are suitable, such as laser scanners and the like. However, cameras are now inexpensive and widely available. Cameras are also usually an integral component of mobile devices such as the aforementioned smartphones, tablet computers, laptops, and the like. Typically, corresponding mobile devices also have communication means such as Bluetooth or Wi-Fi antennas, which additionally enable wireless communication. Thus, no special hardware modifications to the mobile device are required to implement the method according to the invention.

[0015] According to a further advantageous embodiment of the method according to the invention, the coding is sent to the access control station several times during a transmission period. In general, the wireless transmission of the coding to the access control station may fail, for example, due to an inadequate communication connection. For example, the mobile device may be outside the communication range of the access control station, or the communication connection between the mobile device and the access control station may be negatively affected. For example, sources of interference may be within the communication range, or widespread interference may occur, for example, due to the occurrence of sunspots and corresponding solar winds directed toward the Earth.If the code is only sent once to the access control station, there is a risk that the access control station will not receive it. Therefore, it is preferable to send the code multiple times during the transmission period. The transmission period can be any length of time, for example, a few seconds, one minute, several minutes, or even fractions or multiples thereof. It is particularly preferable for the transmission period to begin when the vehicle leaves the parking space and last at least until the vehicle reaches the access control station. This allows the code to be transmitted to the access control station as the vehicle approaches. This supports the vehicle's rapid passage past the access control station, further improving user convenience.

[0016] A further advantageous embodiment of the method according to the invention further provides that the process for optically detecting the optoelectronic code and / or sending the coding to the access control station is started by:

[0017] - the manual entry of an operating action by a user;

[0018] - the vehicle falling below a specified distance from the access control station; or

[0019] - placing the ticket in a detection area of ​​the optical detection devices so that the mobile device detects the optoelectronic code.

[0020] Thus, various options are available for initiating data exchange. By manually entering the operating action, the user can determine the moment at which the coding should be transmitted to the access control station. To enter the operating action, the user can use an appropriate human-machine interface on the mobile device, such as a touch-sensitive display. For example, a button labeled "Send parking ticket" can be displayed on the display; touching this button initiates the sending of the coding to the access control station. The operating action can also be entered by the user via voice command. For this purpose, the mobile device includes appropriate recording devices such as one or more microphones.The coding can be conveniently sent automatically from the mobile device to the access control station as soon as the vehicle has approached within the specified distance of the access control station. In this case, the user no longer needs to enter or perform any further manual operations. A variety of methods are available for detecting the distance between the vehicle or mobile device and the access control station. For example, the specified distance can be considered exceeded as soon as the mobile device enters the communication range of the access control station. The mobile device can also be equipped with location-determining tools, such as satellite-based navigation, which enables the determination of geocoordinates based on a signal received from a global navigation satellite system, such as GPS.The mobile device can compare its position with the location of the access control station, for example, recorded on a digital road map, and thereby determine whether the specified distance has been undershot. The access control station and the mobile device can also be in bidirectional communication, whereupon the access control station informs the mobile device that the specified distance has been undershot. The access control station can thus have additional dedicated means for determining distance, such as sensors for obtaining depth information such as radar sensors, ultrasonic sensors, laser scanners, cameras, and the like. It is also possible to determine the position of the mobile device or the vehicle via triangulation. For example, several transmitting / receiving antennas can be set up in the area, which communicate with the mobile device or the vehicle.By evaluating the respective reception signal quality, the distance of the vehicle or mobile device to the individual transmitting / receiving antennas can be determined and the mobile device or vehicle can be located relative to the area.

[0021] The optical detection devices, especially the camera, can also be permanently activated and record their surroundings. If the user then holds the ticket with the optoelectronic code within the detection range of the optical detection device, the mobile device interprets this as a direct request to pass the obstacle. The optoelectronic code is then recorded accordingly, the coding is derived from it, and the coding is sent to the access control station either now or at a later time, for example, when the specified distance is exceeded.

[0022] According to a further advantageous embodiment of the method according to the invention, the coding is sent from the mobile device to the access control station via Bluetooth, Wi-Fi, or mobile radio. Due to the comparatively short transmission range of Bluetooth, this communication protocol is particularly suitable for transmitting the coding, as it ensures that the coding is only transmitted to the access control station when the vehicle is directly in front of it. This reduces the risk that the obstacle will already be removed even though the vehicle has not yet entered the actual path. For example, another vehicle could be located between the vehicle and the obstacle, which could then already leave the area.This must be avoided because the access control station would then not remove the obstacle from the path again when the coding is transmitted again, since the access control station already assumes that the vehicle has left the area.

[0023] Using Wi-Fi or mobile communications, however, the code can be transmitted to the access control station from a greater distance. Other measures can then be taken to prevent the obstacle from being removed from the path prematurely. A wide variety of mobile communications standards can be used, particularly 4G, 5G, or future mobile communications technologies.

[0024] A further advantageous embodiment of the method according to the invention further provides that, in addition to the coding, the mobile terminal sends a unique vehicle identifier, in particular the vehicle identification number and / or the vehicle's license plate number, to the access control station. Using the unique vehicle identifier, the access control station is able to detect the vehicle's immediate location in front of the obstacle.

[0025] A further preferred embodiment of the method according to the invention provides that the access control station only removes the obstacle from the path of travel when the access control station detects, through camera-based detection of the path of travel, that the vehicle with the unique vehicle identification is directly in front of the obstacle. The respective cameras are installed at appropriate locations in or along the path of travel. This allows the license plate number or the vehicle identification number affixed in the area of ​​the windshield to be recorded and verified. The license plate number of the vehicle or the vehicle identification number can be stored in a memory of the mobile device.However, in the case of a purely manual transmission of the coding, i.e. initiating the sending of the coding to the access control station by the user manually entering the operating action, it is not necessarily necessary to provide such additional control mechanisms.

[0026] In general, it is also conceivable to transmit additional information to the access control station in addition to the coding and the unique vehicle identification. For example, a unique identifier of the mobile device, such as the unique Bluetooth address or MAC address of the mobile device, can be sent to the access control station. This allows the access control station to uniquely identify the respective mobile device.

[0027] For example, the coding can be transmitted to the access control station via Wi-Fi or mobile network when leaving the parking position, and only when the mobile device arrives in front of the obstacle does the access control station receive the unique Bluetooth address of the mobile device and then cause the obstacle to be removed from the path.

[0028] The obstacle can then remain outside the travel path until the mobile device has left the communication range of the access control station, i.e. until the access control station no longer receives the Bluetooth address of the mobile device.

[0029] In an access control system comprising an access control station and a mobile terminal, according to the invention, the access control station and the mobile terminal are configured to carry out a method described above. The mobile terminal has corresponding optical detection means for reading the optoelectronic code. Furthermore, the mobile terminal and the access control station have suitable communication means for data exchange. Furthermore, the mobile terminal and the access control station have corresponding computer-readable storage media, each storing a computer program product whose execution by a respective processor enables the execution of the respective substeps of the method according to the invention.

[0030] According to an advantageous development of the access control system according to the invention, it comprises a vehicle, wherein at least parts of the mobile terminal are formed by components of the vehicle. The mobile terminal can therefore either be formed by a smartphone, for example, and be used to capture the optoelectronic code in the vehicle. However, at least parts of the mobile terminal could also be integrated into the vehicle. For example, a dedicated mobile terminal can be present and, for example, provide the optical capture means for reading the optoelectronic code. A second part of the mobile terminal can then be integrated into the vehicle. For example, communication means included in the vehicle can be used to transmit the coding to the access control station. However, it would also be possible for all parts of the mobile terminal to be integrated into the vehicle.For example, an in-vehicle camera can be used to read the optoelectronic code. An in-vehicle processing unit can process the images generated by the camera and thereby determine the coding. The coding is then sent to the access control station via in-vehicle communication means.

[0031] The vehicle can be any road vehicle such as a car, truck, van, bus or the like.

[0032] A further advantageous embodiment of the access control system according to the invention further provides that the mobile terminal is embodied as a mobile garage door opener or a vehicle-integrated garage door opener. With the aid of a garage door opener, the user is able to open or close their private garage wirelessly. Vehicle-integrated garage door openers are also known. The user can couple a private mobile garage door opener with the vehicle-integrated garage door opener, so that a corresponding radio code for controlling the respective motor for opening and closing the garage door is stored in the vehicle. The respective garage door opener can have corresponding optical detection means and communication means, which also enable implementation of the method according to the invention.This allows the functionality of the corresponding garage door opener to be expanded, which further increases user acceptance of the use of corresponding garage door openers.

[0033] Further advantageous embodiments of the method according to the invention for controlling entry or exit into or from an area and of the access control system also emerge from the exemplary embodiments which are described in more detail below with reference to the figures.

[0034] Showing:

[0035] Fig. 1 is a schematic representation of an access control system according to the invention;

[0036] Fig. 2 is a flowchart of the method steps of an entry and exit control method according to the invention, carried out by a mobile terminal; and

[0037] Fig. 3 is a flowchart of the method steps of the inventive method for entry and exit control carried out by an access control station.

[0038] Figure 1 shows a vehicle 4 according to the invention, which is parked in front of a barrier 10. The barrier 10 forms an obstacle 5 that blocks entry or exit from an area. With the aid of a method according to the invention, a user of the vehicle 4 is enabled to open the barrier 10 without having to insert a corresponding ticket 2 into a reader of an access control station 1. Figure 1 shows a preferred embodiment of an access control system 9 according to the invention, in which all components of a mobile terminal 6 are integrated into the vehicle 4 or are formed by vehicle components. The mobile terminal 6 and the access control station 1 form the access control system 9 according to the invention.

[0039] The mobile terminal 6 comprises optical detection means 7, for example in the form of a camera for detecting and reading an optoelectronic code 3 contained in the ticket 2, for example embodied as a barcode, QR code, matrix code, or the like. Signals generated by the optical detection means 7 are evaluated by a computing unit 11. The computing unit 11 determines a coding underlying the optoelectronic code 3, which is transmitted wirelessly to the access control station 1 via a telecommunications unit 12. The access control station 1 can then check whether the ticket 2, and thus the user, is authorized to pass the obstacle 5 or not. Accordingly, the access control station 1 leaves the obstacle 5 in the path of travel or removes the obstacle 5 at least temporarily. For example, the user of the vehicle 4 can pay for the ticket 2 at a pay machine.The access control station 1 is in communication with this ticket machine in a known manner and can thus obtain information as to whether the ticket 2 is authorized to pass through the access control station 1 or not.

[0040] The mobile terminal 6 could also be designed partially or completely detached from the vehicle 4, for example as a smartphone (not shown).

[0041] Figure 2 shows the method steps executed by the mobile device 6. The method starts in a method step 201. In a method step 202, the command to open the barrier 10 or to remove the obstacle 5 from the path of travel is entered. This command can, for example, be issued manually by a user via a user interface of the mobile device 6.

[0042] This enables the implementation of method step 203, in which the user scans the ticket 2. In other words, the optical detection means 7 detect the optoelectronic code 3, whereupon the coding is subsequently derived.

[0043] In the subsequent method step 204, the coding is sent wirelessly to the access control station 1. In an optionally subsequent method step 205, the mobile terminal 6 can check whether a termination criterion exists and, if not, resend the coding, or, if so, stop sending the coding to the access control station 1 in method step 206. The termination criterion exists, for example, if the coding has been sent only once, a specified time period has elapsed, the vehicle 4 has reached a certain speed of travel, the mobile terminal 6 receives a termination signal from the access control station 1, or the like. Figure 3 shows the method steps performed by the access control station 1. In a method step 301, the access control station 1 switches to a receive mode and receives signals from mobile terminals 6.In a method step 302, the access control station 1 checks whether it has received a corresponding code. If not, the access control station 1 continues receiving signals. If, on the other hand, the access control station 1 has received a corresponding code, method step 303 is carried out. Here, the access control station 1 checks whether the ticket 2 or the optoelectronic code 3 is authorized to pass the obstacle 5. If this is not the case, method step 301 continues accordingly. If, on the other hand, information is available that the respective optoelectronic code 3 or the code authorizes the user to pass the obstacle 5, the access control station 1 removes the obstacle 5 from the travel path in method step 304 so that the vehicle 4 can enter or leave the area accordingly.

[0044] With the help of the method and access control system according to the invention, the convenience for a user when entering or exiting a site is increased. The risk of accidents is reduced. Furthermore, no complex changes to the hardware components of the access control system are required, allowing for a simple and cost-effective implementation of the method according to the invention.

Claims

Patent claims 1. A method for controlling entry or exit into or out of an area, wherein an access control station (1) is installed at the entrance to and / or the exit from the area, which access control station is configured to leave an obstacle (5) blocking entry into or exit from the area for a vehicle (4) in a respective travel path or to temporarily remove it from the travel path to allow travel, depending on an optoelectronic code (3) readable from a ticket (2), characterized in that the optoelectronic code (3) is read by a mobile terminal (6) by means of optical detection means (7) within the vehicle (4), and the mobile terminal (6) wirelessly transmits a code matching the optoelectronic code (3) at least once to the access control station (1).

2. Method according to claim 1, characterized in that a camera is used as the optical detection means (7).

3. Method according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the coding is sent to the access control station (1) several times during a transmission period.

4. Method according to one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that the process for optically detecting the optoelectronic code (3) and / or sending the coding to the access control station (1) is started by: - the manual entry of an operating action by a user; - the vehicle (4) falling below a specified distance from the access control station (1); or - introducing the ticket (2) into a detection area (8) of the optical detection means (7) so that the mobile terminal (6) detects the optoelectronic code (3).

5. Method according to one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that the coding is sent from the mobile terminal (6) to the access control station (1) via Bluetooth, Wi-Fi or mobile radio.

6. Method according to one of claims 1 to 5, characterized in that the mobile terminal (6) sends a unique vehicle identification, in particular the vehicle identification number and / or the license plate number of the vehicle (4) to the access control station (1) in addition to the coding.

7. Method according to claim 6, characterized in that the access control station (1) only removes the obstacle (5) from the travel path when the access control station (1) detects, by means of a camera-based detection of the travel path, that the vehicle (4) which has the unique vehicle identification is located directly in front of the obstacle (5).

8. Access control system (9), comprising an access control station (1) and a mobile terminal (6), characterized in that the access control station (1) and the mobile terminal (6) are configured to carry out a method according to one of claims 1 to 7.

9. Access control system (9) according to claim 8, characterized by a vehicle (4), wherein at least parts of the mobile terminal (6) are formed by components of the vehicle (4).

0. Access control system (9) according to claim 8 or 9, characterized in that the mobile terminal (6) is formed by a mobile garage door opener or a vehicle-integrated garage door opener.

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