Object of the invention.
[0001] The present invention refers to a garage access control system, which features characteristics
so as to make possible and to simplify the effective control of remote controls either
active or authorized to permit the access to garages, as well as to solve the security
problems derived from not having a proper control of all the remote controls which
are used in order to access, community garages, as it is not easy to disable those
remote controls which must be cancelled due to the fact that they are remote controls
lost, stolen or not returned by former tenants.
[0002] This invention enables installers of remote control systems for garages to perfectly
control all their garages by means of a Web portal.
[0003] When accessing the portal and being identified by means of an installer name and
its corresponding password, the system shows the list of all the garages managed by
said installer.
[0004] Inside each installation, a database exists with the parking lots and owners of a
specific garage, as well as the codes of the active remote controls related to each
parking lot.
[0005] This system permits to activate the new remote controls in the database, so that
they are automatically entered in all the accesses of the garage.
Field of application of the invention
[0006] The invention is addressed to being implemented by companies which install access
control systems in community garages, garages of companies or organisms, and generally
in any restricted access area or site.
Background to the invention.
[0007] The present invention intends to solve the security problem which implies the fact
of not having a proper control of all the remote controls which are used to access
community garages, as it is not easy to cancel the codes of those remote controls
which must be disabled, such as remote controls which are lost, stolen, or simply
not returned by former tenants.
[0008] The current problems in order to properly manage the remote controls which are used
to access a community garage are as follows:
- Need to make technicians travel.
[0009] Currently, in order to cancel the right of a specific remote control to access a
garage, a technician of the installer company which manages the access control must
travel to such garage in order to carry out the disabling operation. This complex
management, as well as the expenses derived, implies that, in most cases, the referred
action is not carried out.
- Communication and software problems.
[0010] In spite of the fact that no remote control manufacturer does so, it is true that,
due to the current state of the art, it would be possible to control remote installations
by means of an ADSL line and management software, anyway the use of this solution
features the following problems:
- An ADSL line will have to be hired with a fix IP at each remote installation, with
all the costs derived.
- The installation company will have to have installed specific software in its server
or in a specific PC, which implies a problem due to initial setup technique matters,
updating and to the need to use some specific computers on a permanent basis.
- ID problems.
[0011] A basic problem in each remote control system is that they are not physically identified
with the parking lot number and with its holder, which, due to this lack of identification,
makes it almost impossible to properly manage any kind of access control to a garage.
[0012] The first problem arises at the time of delivering remote controls to the owners
due to the fact that, if remote controls are not physically identified, it will be
impossible to carry out a proper delivery.
- Lack of information.
[0013] In most cases, the owners of parking lots in community garages do not bother to request
the remote controls which must be disabled: lost remote controls, stolen remote controls
and remote controls not returned by former tenants.
[0014] In this case, it makes no sense installing an access control system, which actually
does not carry out any control, as it does not know the number of active remote controls
and who are their users.
Description of the invention.
[0015] The control system for garage access object of the invention features some characteristics
addressed to give response to the referred problems, one of the objects of the invention
being the permission to enable or disable a remote control by means of a web server
connection, thus avoiding the problem which implies the travel of technicians to garages
in order to cancel the access code of a specific remote control.
[0016] Another object of the invention is to minimize the costs of the communications required
in order to operate with remote installations, using any smartphone, PC or digital
tablet with an Internet connection.
[0017] Another object of the invention is to physically identify the access remote controls
so that each one of them is related to a specific parking lot in a garage and to a
specific user in case said lot has several remote controls allocated, and allocating
specific access codes to each remote control, so that each remote control is perfectly
identified and can be enabled or disabled by accessing the web server.
[0018] Another object of the invention is to solve the problem which implies the fact that,
most of the times, parking lot owners do not bother to request the disabling of the
remote controls which must be cancelled.
[0019] The control system for garage access of the invention is of the type which includes
control means in order to access each garage, which feature opening and closing means
of the entrance and exit ways, which feature at least one receiver for activation
signals and a chip which manages the information received from a series of remote
controls which output opening and/or closing encoded signals, as well as the opening
and closing device drives of the corresponding access.
[0020] According to the invention, each remote control comprises: a visible and customized
identification tag, in order to allocate it to a specific parking lot and a specific
user of such parking lot; and a programmable memory which contains a specific code
for each remote control, which is univocally identified within the system, in connection
with a garage and a parking lot, or a specific user of such parking lot.
[0021] In this invention, it has been envisaged that the remote controls feature a slight
groove in its back side, in order to insert the customized identification tag with
the data of the parking lot to which each one of them corresponds.
[0022] The web portal has an application in order to print the tags which are used to properly
identify the remote controls.
[0023] The output code programmed in each remote control is a logic code which consists
of sub-codes which include: an installer sub-code, an installation sub-code, a parking
lot sub-code and the remote control number within each parking lot.
[0024] This kind of logic encoding is very useful, as it permits to perfectly identify a
remote control even if its identification tag has been stripped.
[0025] In this way, once an access installation has been carried out, each remote controller
is identified by its external tag and its output code, which allows to deliver to
each user of each parking lot an identified remote control, and thus, it can be selectively
enabled or disabled by the installation company or by the company in charge of controlling
the access to the specific garage.
[0026] According to the invention, the systems comprises in each garage: at least one remote
device connected to the garage access control means: this remote device including
a database with a list of the active opening remote controls, and means in order to
set up a communication via GPRS mobile telephony with a web server.
[0027] The system comprises a web server, which includes a management software common to
all the existing remote control installations in all the garages managed, and features
a database which contains at least one list of the existing parking lots in each garage
to be controlled and the codes of the active remote controls for each parking lot
or each user of each parking lot in each garage, said web server comprising means
in order to set up a communication via GPRS mobile phone with each remote installation
and the updating of the list of active remote controls included in its database.
[0028] This web server permits that multiple installation companies of access control systems
for garages can manage its multiple installation in the easiest possible way via a
web portal.
[0029] In order to operate via the web portal, the installing company will have to identify
itself with its user name and its password, then the list of all the garages managed
by the company will be displayed, and when a specific garage is selected, the database
of the parking lots and owners of the garage will be displayed, together with the
codes of the remote controls which are enabled for each parking lot.
[0030] If the installer must deliver a new remote control to an owner, he/she will select
"enable" in the database, and it will be automatically updated in all the garage entrance
and exit ways. If the installer must carry out the disabling of a remote control,
he/she will select "disable" and the remote control will be disabled in all the garage
entrance and exit ways. Therefore, it will be no longer necessary for a technician
to travel to a garage in order to carry out the disabling of a remote control.
[0031] Another characteristic of the invention is that it features a communication means
in the remote installation and in the web server which allows to set up low cost internet
communications between them, thus avoiding the costs derived from the installation
of an ADSL line in each remote installation of the different garages, bearing in mind
that, on beforehand, operating via the internet in order to manage a remote electronic
system is only possible if an ADSL line with a fix IP is hired in that remote spot.
[0032] In the present case, the updating of the remote controls in remote installations
requires the transmission of only a few bits of information, thus the use of an ADSL
line would imply paying relatively high fix rates while under-using the hired line.
[0033] The means included in remote installations in order to set up a communication via
GPRS mobile telephone with the web server comprise: a GPRS mobile telephone modem
and an M2M card associated to such modem, which features a mobile phone number and
a dynamic IP, which communicates with a central server at a specific time, interacting
with it in order to update the active remote control list in the database.
[0034] In the case of the web server, the means included in order to set up a communication
via GPRS mobile telephone with each remote installation connected to the access means
of the different garages comprise at least one modem and a card capable of making
a lost call to any of the remote installations of the different garages, which causes
a connection of the remote installation to the GPRS network and the transmission to
the web server of the dynamic IP address at that specific time, so that such web server
operates and carries out the updating of the active remote controls in the database
of the referred remote installation.
[0035] In this communication means, when an installer wants to operate with a remote garage
via the web portal, it operates with the server of such portal, and the server of
such portal sets up the communication with the remote garage according to the following
process.
[0036] When the server of the web portal detects that it is intended to operate via the
internet with a specific remote garage, it makes a lost call to the modem of such
remote garage, thus giving an order to the remote garage to connect to the GPRS network
and to transmit to the server of the web portal the IP address at that specific time.
As soon as the server of the web portal has the correct IP address of the remote spot,
it can operate normally, and carry out any action required.
[0037] In summary, the referred process minimizes the data transmission cost, when the information
to be transmitted is only a few bytes.
[0038] In order to have a proper operation and parameters of the system, it is advisable
to determine the maximal number of active remote controls admitted in every parking
lot
[0039] The limitation in the number of active remote controls per parking lot is absolutely
key to the proper management of the system, due to the fact that parking lot owners,
in most cases, do not bother to request the disabling of the remote controls which
must be cancelled. When applying this restriction, a natural cleanup occurs of the
remote controls which must be disabled, due to the fact that, when an owner requests
a new remote control, he/she must request in advance the disabling of the remote control
which has been lost, stolen or which the former tennant has not given back.
[0040] In order to enable the control of the limitations of remote controls mentioned above,
the web portal permits the parameterization of each managed garage with the following
criteria: - number of parking lots of the garage and - number of active remote controls
per parking lot.
[0041] In order to deliver remote controls to the users of the different parking lots, it
has been envisaged the use of a suitable packaging in order to enhance massive deliveries,
and which consists of two boxes: - one box for each remote control, which features
an opening which permits to clearly see the identification tag of each one of them,
and-one for multiple remote controls, e.g.: fifty units, in a single box, displaying
the identification tags of all the remote controls. This is extremely useful when
massive deliveries of remote controls must be carried out.
Description of the figures
[0042] In order to complement the description which is currently being carried out, and
in order to facilitate the comprehension of the characteristics of the invention,
a set of drawings is attached to the present description where, for illustrative purposes
and without limitation, the following is represented:
- Fig. 1 schematically displays an embodiment of the system of the invention, where
the web server, one of the remote installations corresponding to one entrance to one
of the garages whose accesses are to be controlled and three remote controls for the
actuation of the opening and closing means of such access have been displayed.
- Fig. 2 shows a scheme plan view of an entrance to a garage where the opening and closing
means of the access, together with the related remote installation, have been displayed,
according to the invention.
- Fig. 3 shows front and back upper views of an embodiment of a remote control according
to the invention.
Preferred embodiment of the invention.
[0043] The system of the invention, as shown in the embodiments of the attached figures,
comprises: in each garage, at least one remote installation (1) connected to means
for controlling the access (2) to the garage which feature opening and closing means
of the entrance and exit accesses of the specific garage; a web server (3); and remote
controls (4) outputting encoded signals for the remote operation of the means of opening
and closing the accesses to the specific garage.
[0044] The means for access control (2) feature at least one receiver (21) for activating
signals proceeding from remote controls (4) and a chip (22) which manages the information
received from remote controls (4) and the actuation of the means for opening and closing
the corresponding access.
[0045] Each remote installation (1) comprises a database (11) with a list of the opening
remote controls (4) which are active, as well as means in order to set up a communication
via GPRS mobile telephony with a web server (3). Said means consist on a GPRS mobile
telephony modem (12) and an M2M card (13) connected to that modem (12) and which features
a mobile telephone number and a dynamic IP address, which periodically communicates
with the web server (3).
[0046] The web server (3) includes management software common for the whole set of remote
installations (1) existing in the different garages managed, and features a database
(31) which contains at least a list of the parking lots existing in each garage to
be controlled and the codes of the remote controls (4) active for each parking lot,
or for each user, of each parking lot, in each garage.
[0047] Such web server (3) comprises means for setting up a communication via GPRS mobile
phone with any remote installation, as well as the updating of the list of active
remote controls included in its database, said means being represented by a modem
and a telephone card (33) with the ability to make a lost call to any remote installation
(11) of the different garages when an installer wishes to manage the access of any
garage in charge.
[0048] The reception of this lost call causes the remote installation (11) which has received
it to connect to the GPRS network and to transmit to the server (3) the dynamic IP
address at that specific time, which enables the web server (3) to set up a communication
with said remote installation, and the installer to perform, via that connection,
the updating of the remote controls (4) active in the database (11) of the referred
remote installation (1).
[0049] Each remote control (4) comprises an ID tag (41) visible and customized to be allocated
to a specific garage and to a specific user of that parking lot; and a programmable
memory (42) which contains an output code, specific for each remote control (4).
[0050] The output code of each remote control (4) includes: one installer sub-code, one
installation sub-code, one parking lot sub-code and the number of remote control within
each parking lot.
[0051] As shown in Fig. 1, with this system, the installer can operate with remote installations
using any terminal (5), such as smartphone, digital tablet or PC, featuring an Internet
connection.
[0052] Once the nature of the invention has been described, together with a preferred embodiment,
it is stated to the appropriate effects that the materials, shapes, sizes and layout
of the described elements can be modified, as well as it does not imply an alteration
of the basic features of the invention, which are claimed below.