Automatic vehicle information retrieval for use at entry to a secure site

A method and system are provided for automatically retrieving information associated with vehicles that must sequentially pass an entrance to a secure site. Prior to the entrance to the secure site, a plurality of vehicles can be aligned in a queue having a front end located at the secure site's entrance. When a vehicle enters the queue, identifying indicia on the vehicle's license tag is automatically transmitted to one or more remotely-located databases in order to retrieve information associated with the license tag. When the vehicle reaches the front of the queue, the information so-retrieved is automatically made available in a human recognizable format to security personnel at the secure site's entrance.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The invention relates generally to methods and systems for improving security at secure sites, and more particularly to a method and system for automatically retrieving information associated with a vehicle's license tag just prior to the entrance of the vehicle onto the secure site.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

One of the greatest challenges in the struggle against terrorist activities is to maintain a high level of security in high-risk facilities such as military bases, government installations, research laboratories, ports, airports, etc. Typically, such facilities have specified entrances manned by trained security personnel.

Currently, if a security officer requires information on an individual or their car, the officer must either make the request over the radio and wait for the dispatcher to research the information or the officer must manually enter the request into a computer. Either approach requires too much time to allow the officer to pull-up the information on all vehicles entering a facility while still maintaining a steady flow of traffic. Furthermore, if an officer wants information contained in the National Crime Investigation Center (NCIC) or similar law-enforcement database in addition to the information contained in the site's vehicle or personnel database, the officer must perform multiple data searches, i.e., one for each database of interest.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide a method and system for automatically retrieving vehicle information as a vehicle approaches a secure site having a restricted entrance.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a method and system for automatically retrieving vehicle information as vehicles queue up to enter a secure site where the information is retrieved when a vehicle enters the queue and is made available to security personnel when the vehicle reaches the front of the queue.

In accordance with the present invention, a method and system are provided for automatically retrieving vehicle information maintained at remotely-located databases. The retrieved information is associated with vehicles that must sequentially pass an entrance to a secure site. Prior to the entrance to the secure site, a plurality of vehicles can be aligned in a queue having a front end located at the entrance. The presence of a vehicle entering the back end of the queue is detected and a signal indicative thereof is generated. It is assumed that the vehicle has a license tag coupled thereto. A camera is positioned to capture an image of the license tag in response to generation of the signal indicating that the vehicle has entered the back of the queue. A controller coupled to the camera automatically accesses one or more of the remotely-located databases to retrieve information stored thereat that is associated with the license tag in the image. A trigger signal is generated automatically when the vehicle reaches the front of the queue. One or more devices located at the secure site make the information so-retrieved available in a human recognizable format in response to generation of the trigger signal.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

Referring now to the drawings, and more particularly toFIG. 1, a block diagram of the system for automatically retrieving information associated with a licensed vehicle in accordance with the present invention is shown and is referenced generally by numeral100. The information is maintained at one or more databases200capable of being accessed electronically by authorized personnel, organizations or systems.

While the automatic retrieval aspects of the present invention can be utilized in a variety of security-based applications, the particular application contemplated by the present invention is illustrated schematically inFIG. 2. Specifically, a secure site10has a restricted entrance12secured by personnel (not shown) stationed at a guard booth or house14. Entrance12is approached by incoming vehicles20,21,22and23along an entrance road16that is accessed via a public road18. In order to control the flow of incoming vehicles, entrance road16is generally configured (e.g., lined, defined by cones or barricades, etc.) to align vehicles20,21,22and23sequentially in a single-file queue17defined along entrance road16.

Referring again toFIG. 1, operation of system100is controlled by a controller102(e.g., personal computer to include data input and output devices). Typically, controller102will be located at guard booth14. Coupled to controller102are one or more vehicle detection sensors104, an imaging system106(e.g., camera or other optical recognition system), display and/or audio output devices108(e.g., display terminals, synthesized voice outputs, audio alarms, etc.) and, optionally, hand-held wireless transceivers110having display and data entry capability (e.g., personal digital assistants or PDA's).

An operation description of system100in accordance with the present invention will make simultaneous reference toFIGS. 1 and 2. As vehicle20turns onto entrance road16and into queue17, a sensor104A (i.e., represented by sensor(s)104inFIG. 1) detects its presence and provides a signal indicative thereof to controller102. In response to generation of this signal, controller102instructs imaging system106(e.g., a high-resolution camera106A inFIG. 2) to capture an image that will include a license tag20A on vehicle20. Note that not all states require a license tag on the front of vehicles while all states do require a license tag on the rear of vehicles thereby making it most efficient to have camera106A positioned to capture an image of the back of vehicle20. The critical portion of the captured image is license tag20A.

The captured image to include that of license tag20A is processed (either as part of imaging system106or part of controller102) to extract the license tag's unique letter and/or number identification. This can be achieved by any of a variety of well known optical character recognition schemes. As a result, an electronic “image” (e.g., a digital American Standard Code for Information Interchange (ASCII) character string) of the identifying indica on license tag20A can be formed. Controller102accesses (e.g., via phone lines, cable lines, the air waves or other transmission media) databases200and transmits the electronic image of license tag20A thereto. The accessed databases200can include the National Crime Investigation Center (NCIC) database200A, database200B maintained at secure site10for personnel and/or vehicles frequenting secure site10, and other national, state or local law enforcement databases200C.

The accessed databases200return information associated with license tag20A such as vehicle model/make/year, registered owner of the vehicle that license tag20A is assigned to, if the vehicle has been reported stolen, if the license tag has been reported stolen, if the registered owner is wanted by law enforcement, etc. The retrieved information is presented to security personnel at guard booth14by means of display and/or audio devices108coupled to controller102. Additionally, the information can be wirelessly transmitted to one or more hand-held units110maintained by additional security personnel stationed around secure site10. In this way, should a suspect vehicle get past guard booth14, other on-site security personnel would already be aware of the information known by personnel at guard booth14.

As mentioned above in the “Background”, security at entrance12must be maintained while providing for a steady flow of traffic into secure site10for efficient entry processing of authorized personnel and their vehicles. Accordingly, it is preferred to capture the image of license tag20A as vehicle20first enters queue17defined along entrance road16. Then, the retrieved information from databases200can be correspondingly queued by controller102. When vehicle20approaches guard booth14, the information queue maintained by controller102can be toggled manually or, preferably, automatically to display the next set of retrieved information in the queue. Such manual toggling can be achieved by security personnel at guard booth14while an automatic arrangement for toggling could be achieved by positioning another vehicle detection sensor104B at the front of queue17located at guard booth14. Operationally, sensor104B is positioned to detect when vehicle20has reached the front of queue17. Note that the distance between sensor104A and104B can be set to accommodate the time delay in accessing database200and receiving information therefrom. In this way, traffic will generally flow smoothly onto secure site10as the information relating to license tag20A will be output for personnel at guard booth14as soon as sensor104B is triggered.

The advantages of the present invention are numerous. Information traceable from a vehicle's license tag is automatically retrieved from one or more remotely-located databases so that security personnel can review detailed information about each vehicle entering a secure site. An efficient traffic flow can be maintained as the system and method can be configured to automatically toggle through the retrieved information in correspondence with the sequential order of vehicles passing through the system.

Although the invention has been described relative to a specific embodiment thereof, there are numerous variations and modifications that will be readily apparent to those skilled in the art in light of the above teachings. For example, security personnel at the secure site could also initiate a search based on whatever search criteria they desire (e.g., an individual's name, a license plate number, a vehicle identification number, etc.) in addition to the automatic license plate imaging approach described above. Search criteria could be entered manually at either controller102or wireless transceiver110. This will allow security personnel to perform searches on people outside of their vehicles or in suspicious vehicles parked within the secure site without the need for imaging the license plate. This will also reduce/eliminate the need for roving security personnel to call a central dispatch to initiate a search of multiple databases. The system can be programmed such that this function is carried out in parallel with the operations taking place at the entrance to the secure site. It is therefore to be understood that, within the scope of the appended claims, the invention may be practiced other than as specifically described.