EP2040234B1 - System for detecting intrusion attempts comprising crash and/or vibration detection means built into the posts of a fence, and device to be installed on fence posts - Google Patents

Abstract

The system has detection units (3) for detecting vibrations and shocks produced on a fence, where the fence comprises panels (2) fixed on poles (1). Transmission units transmit data issued from the detection units to a remote control station controlling a personal computer, where the detection units constituted by capacitive type accelerometers are carried by one of the poles. The transmission units are associated to data reception units receiving data by radiofrequency, and the detection units are integrated on a fixed card in a recess of one of the poles.

Description

The field of the invention is that of the perimeter protection of sites. More specifically, the invention relates to a fence system consisting in particular of the assembly of panels and poles, capable of detecting an intrusion attempt inside a perimeter delimited by the fence.

In the field of the invention, several techniques are currently proposed to detect the unauthorized presence of people around a perimeter delimited by a fence, and / or to detect an intrusion attempt within this perimeter.

Alarm systems using infrared sensors are particularly known: the principle of these systems lies in the deployment of a network of infrared beams delimiting a perimeter to be monitored, the fact that a person passes through this perimeter resulting in a temporary break infrared beam that triggers an alarm signal.

Surveillance systems are also known that use a microwave technology, emitting waves in certain zones to be monitored, the presence of a person in a zone covered by the waves being of a nature to cause a disturbance thereof causing the issue of an alarm signal.

According to these two systems, the aim is to detect the unauthorized presence of a person inside a site or in the vicinity of it.

However, these systems are not intended to physically prevent a person from entering a specified perimeter. In other words, these systems are not intended to hinder an attempt to intrude.

In practice, these systems are therefore used in a complementary manner to the implementation of a means physically delimiting a perimeter and forming an obstacle, such as a fence comprising panels (made of woven wire or welded, with "single twist" wires, grids ...) fixed on poles.

With regard to perimeter delineation equipment physically obstructing sites, such as fences, a technique for detecting an intrusion attempt inside the perimeter consists in implementing means for detecting vibrations and / or or shocks mounted on the fence panels. Such detection means may consist of accelerometers or a system commonly known as a "shock cable" including a pair of conductive wires provided to emit a signal in case of vibrations and / or shocks on the panels. of the fence.

The prior art US 4,097,025 describes a surveillance system for closure.

This technique thus makes it possible to detect the presence of a person who climbs on the fence panel to enter the perimeter, a signal being emitted if necessary to a remote station to alert a surveillance staff.

However, this technique has a major disadvantage with respect to its violability.

Indeed, for a malicious person warned, it is easy to detect the presence of shock cables and neutralize them. A quick way to neutralize the shock cables is then to cut them.

It is no longer possible for the surveillance staff to detect an intrusion attempt.

The invention particularly aims to overcome the disadvantages of the prior art.

More specifically, the object of the invention is to propose a perimetric protection system for sites using panels fixed on posts which have a better degree of inviolability than that of the prior art.

In this sense, a particular object of the invention is to provide such a system which avoids, or at least considerably limits, the possibilities for a malicious person to access the detection means.

The invention also aims to provide such a system which involves mounting operations of detection means that can be performed simply and quickly.

Another object of the invention is to provide such a system that can be obtained by simple transformation operations of some existing fences.

These objectives, as well as others which will appear later, are achieved thanks to the invention which has for object an intrusion attempt detection system inside a perimeter delimited by a fence comprising fixed panels. on posts, of the type employing means for detecting shocks and / or vibrations that may occur on said fence, and means for transmitting data from said detection means to a remote station, characterized in that said means for detecting shocks and / or vibrations are carried by at least one of said posts.

The invention thus proposes a completely new approach to the perimeter protection of sites, this by using the posts of the fence as supports for the means of detecting vibrations and / or shocks and no longer the panels fixed on the posts.

• les moyens de détection doivent être placés sur les panneaux, sachant qu'une personne mal intentionnée a plutôt tendance à tenter de franchir une clôture en grimpant sur celle-ci au niveau des panneaux ;
• les panneaux constituent a priori un support ayant un degré de souplesse de nature à transmettre efficacement les chocs et/ou vibrations qui s'exercent sur eux

The invention thus goes against a conventional reflex of the person skilled in the art who considers that:

• the detection means must be placed on the panels, knowing that a malicious person tends to try to cross a fence by climbing on it at the panels;
• the panels are a priori a support having a degree of flexibility likely to effectively transmit shocks and / or vibrations that are exerted on them

As will become clearer later, the fact of using the posts as a support means for detecting vibrations and / or shocks can house them inside the posts, so that these means of detection of vibrations and / or shocks are neither visible nor accessible by a malicious person.

Consequently, an intrusion attempt detection system according to the invention has a better level of inviolability than the solutions of the prior art consisting of mounting means for detecting vibrations and / or shocks on the panels fixed on poles.

According to an advantageous solution, said vibration and / or shock detection means comprise at least one accelerometer.

Such a component is particularly suitable for a system according to the invention, in that it can be in a relatively compact form for easy integration inside the posts of the fence.

According to a preferred embodiment, said data transmission means comprise means for transmitting said data by radiofrequency.

This avoids the implementation of a wired link between the shock and / or vibration detection means and the remote station where the monitoring personnel is located.

In other words, it limits the risk that a malicious person can access a cable vital to the operation of the system, even if this cable is hidden and / or difficult to access.

Advantageously, said transmission means are associated with means for receiving data.

It is thus possible for example to send a signal to the detection means so that they return a signal showing that the detection means are in working order.

In addition, these reception means can be used to remotely parameterize the detection means so that an alarm signal is generated only from a predetermined acceleration level.

According to an advantageous solution, said one or more posts advantageously have at their upper end a shutter, said means for transmitting said data by radio frequency comprising an antenna integrated in said shutter.

Such a characteristic makes it possible to manufacture the shutter with the radiofrequency antenna in a pre-assembled manner, which makes it possible to ensure the quality of the assembly (off-site to be protected) and to reduce the assembly time (on-site) .

According to an advantageous embodiment, said detection means are housed in at least one of said posts.

According to a first embodiment, said shock and / or vibration detection means are integrated on a card fixed in a recess of said post.

According to a second embodiment, said shock and / or vibration detection means are integrated in a module fitted to the upper end of said post.

According to one conceivable variant, said data transmission means comprise a wired network, said wired network preferably being a carrier current network.

Of course, other types of cable network can be envisaged and in particular an ethernet network, a bus mode ...

In this case, said wired network is preferably buried and joins said shock and / or vibration detection means extending inside said post.

This limits the risks that a malicious person can access the cable network, for example to sever it to neutralize the system.

According to another characteristic of the invention, the system comprises autonomous supply means for said shock and / or vibration detection means.

In this way, it avoids the implementation of power supply cables, which may constitute a fault of the protection system, insofar as such cables could be located by a malicious person to neutralize the system, by example by cutting these cables.

In this case, said autonomous power supply means preferably comprise a photovoltaic panel mounted on said post.

Note that the autonomous power supply means could also be constituted by one or more power supply batteries. Such batteries, however, should be replaced regularly, which would involve maintenance operations on each of the poles concerned.

The invention also relates to an intrusion attempts detection device comprising means for detecting shocks and / or vibrations, intended to be carried by a pole of a perimeter delimited by a fence comprising panels fixed on posts.

• la figure 1 est une représentation schématique d'un système de protection périmétrique selon l'invention ;
• la figure 2 est une vue en perspective d'un premier mode de réalisation selon l'invention ;
• la figure 3 est une vue en perspective d'un deuxième mode de réalisation selon l'invention ;
• la figure 4 est une représentation sous forme synoptique d'un système de protection périmétrique selon l'invention.

Other objectives and advantages of the invention will appear more clearly on reading the following description of several preferred embodiments of the invention, given by way of illustrative and nonlimiting examples, and the appended drawings among which:

• the figure 1 is a schematic representation of a perimeter protection system according to the invention;
• the figure 2 is a perspective view of a first embodiment according to the invention;
• the figure 3 is a perspective view of a second embodiment according to the invention;
• the figure 4 is a representation in synoptic form of a perimeter protection system according to the invention.

As indicated above, the principle of the invention lies in the fact of proposing an intrusion attempt detection system inside a perimeter delimited by a fence, in which shock detection means and / or or vibrations are integrated into one or more posts of the fence.

This general principle is illustrated by the figure 1 .

• une pluralité de poteaux 1 ;
• une pluralité de panneaux 2 (constituant une surface plane ou essentiellement plane), chacun s'étendant entre deux des poteaux 1 et étant fixés sur ceux-ci (un même panneau pouvant être couplé à plus de deux poteaux) ;
• des moyens de détection de chocs et/ou de vibrations 3 portés par un ou plusieurs des poteaux.

As illustrated by this figure 1 , an intrusion attempt detection system inside a perimeter according to the invention comprises:

• a plurality of posts 1;
• a plurality of panels 2 (constituting a flat or substantially planar surface), each extending between two of the posts 1 and being fixed thereto (the same panel being capable of being coupled to more than two posts);
• means for detecting shocks and / or vibrations 3 carried by one or more of the posts.

According to a first embodiment, the posts 1 concerned have an internal structure at least partially recessed, so as to provide a housing 10 for receiving means for detecting shocks and / or vibrations 3.

• les panneaux soudés ;
• les panneaux en fils métalliques tissés ;
• les panneaux à fils métalliques soudés ;
• les panneaux à fils métalliques dits « à simple torsion» ;
• les panneaux grillagés ;

The panels 2 can be of different types that can be envisaged (rigid or flexible), among which:

• welded panels;
• woven wire panels;
• welded wire panels;
• metal wire panels called "single twist";
• mesh panels;

According to an advantageous solution, the shock and / or vibration detection means 3 comprise an accelerometer.

Such an accelerometer is preferably of the capacitive type.

In addition, the system according to the invention comprises data transmission means from the shock and / or vibration detection means 3, in the direction of a remote PC control station.

These transmission means may be associated with data receiving means allowing the remote station to communicate bidirectionally with the detection means.

According to a first approach of the invention, these data transmission means, connected to the shock and / or vibration detection means 3, comprise radiofrequency communication means 4 (the PC station being of course equipped with reception means by radio frequency adapted to the transmitting means).

According to another conceivable approach, the data transmission means comprise a wired network 5, connected to the shock and / or vibration detection means 3, extending to the PC control station.

According to this approach, the wired network is preferably a carrier current network.

In addition, the cable or cables of the wired network preferably extend from the shock and / or vibration detection means inside the pole concerned, over the entire height thereof, to reach the ground wherein they are buried at least partially (so as to extend within the protected perimeter for a distance rendering them inaccessible by a person outside the perimeter), the network joining the remote control station.

It is also conceivable that the cable or cables extend over the entire height of the pole and emerge at the base (or in the vicinity of this base) thereof while being protected from any attempt to neutralize the outside, this by a box and / or by the formation of an obstacle at ground level, post and / or panels.

This variant is illustrated on the figure 1 by implementing at least one plate 50 behind which the cable network 5 extends. Of course, the cable extends inside the perimeter to be protected with respect to the plate 50.

With reference to the figure 2 a first embodiment of the invention is described.

As shown in this figure, the post 1 is made from a metal sheet shaped by folding (for example by a profiling method), and has a hollow body 11 and attachment means 111 on which panels 2 (in this case welded metal wire panels) are intended to be fixed.

The interior of the hollow body 11 of the post 1 constitutes a housing 10 in which means for detecting shocks and / or vibrations are mounted according to the principle of the invention.

According to the present embodiment, the means for detecting shocks and / or vibrations are integrated in an electronic card 30 fixed to a wall 110 of the hollow body 11 of the post 1.

Note that the electronic card 30, and therefore the accelerometer integrated thereto, is mounted near the upper end of the post 1. Thus, the accelerometer is mounted in an area of the post in which it is likely to have movements of sufficient magnitude to allow the detection of shocks and / or vibrations on the post (this as opposed to an area near the base of the post, the latter being generally sealed in the ground, and the base of the post thereby constituting a perfectly static support, or almost, so that shocks and / or vibrations on the pole are virtually undetectable at the base thereof).

According to this embodiment, the upper end of the hollow body 11 of the post 1 is closed by means of a shutter 12 intended to be fitted on the post 1 (the shutter 12 penetrating the housing 10, as well as the means fastening 111).

Note that the detection means can be integrated in the shutter according to a possible variant.

Preferably, the embodiment illustrated by the figure 2 is part of the approach of the invention according to which the data transmission means comprise radiofrequency transmission means.

These communication means comprise radiofrequency components integrated on the electronic board 30. In addition, these transmission means comprise a transmitting antenna 40.

As illustrated by figure 2 , this antenna 40 is integrated with the shutter 12 described above.

The antenna may be, according to other possible embodiments, be embedded in the material of the shutter or be fixed in the shutter.

Furthermore, a photovoltaic panel 6, of suitable size and capacity, provides the power supply independently of the shock and / or vibration detection means. In this case, the electronic card 30 also includes components necessary for processing and storing the electrical energy produced by the photovoltaic panel 6.

It is noted that an intrusion attempt detection system according to the invention can be obtained by modifying an existing fence (preferably comprising posts already having a recess for forming a housing for the shock detection means and / or or vibrations).

In this case, one solution is to provide a ready-to-assemble set comprising shock and / or vibration detection means associated with a support adapted to be fixed inside the recess of the posts.

• les moyens de transmission de données issus des moyens de détection de chocs et/ou de vibrations ;
• un obturateur spécifique, par exemple intégrant une antenne émettrice ;
• un panneau photovoltaïque.

Such a kit (assembly ready to mount) may also include:

• the data transmission means from the shock and / or vibration detection means;
• a specific shutter, for example integrating a transmitting antenna;
• a photovoltaic panel.

The figure 3 illustrates a second embodiment of the invention.

As illustrated by this figure, the means for detecting shocks and / or vibrations are integrated in an electronic card 30 fixed inside a sleeve 7 intended to be attached to the upper end of a pole 1 (forming a kind of shutter post), preferably by fitting (for example on the hollow body and the attachment means of a pole such as that described above with reference to the figure 2 ).

Note that in this case, the electronic card 30 can also incorporate components for the emission of light, the sleeve 7 then being made of a transparent or translucent material.

It is also noted that this sleeve 7 (including in particular the shock and / or vibration detection means) can be proposed in the form of an assembly ready to be mounted.

The operating principle of a system according to the invention is now described with reference to the figure 4 .

According to the operating principle of a system according to the invention, when the fence is solicited due to an attempted intrusion, the shock detection means and / or vibration integrated in the pole 1 detect (or "capture") ) vibrations (or shocks) and emit a signal 100 via data transmission means 4, 5 (constituted either by radiofrequency transmission means or by a wired network) to a remote control station PC. This PC comprises signal processing means 100 (so as to distinguish signals representative of an attempted intrusion from those that can be generated by bad weather, the presence of small animals ...). This signal processing causes or not the issuance of an alert signal so as to alert the supervisory personnel.

Claims (11)

1. System for detecting intrusion attempts inside a perimeter delimited by a fence comprising panels which are fixed to posts, of the type using means for detecting impacts and/or vibrations which may occur on the fence, and means for transmitting data from the detection means to a remote station,
   characterised in that the impact and/or vibration detection means are carried by at least one of the posts, the detection means being accommodated in at least one of the posts or integrated in a module which is fitted to the upper end of the post.
2. System according to claim 1, characterised in that the impact and/or vibration detection means comprise at least one accelerometer.
3. System according to claims 1 and 2, characterised in that the data transmission means comprise means for emission of the data by radiofrequency.
4. System according to any one of claims 1 to 3, characterised in that the transmission means are associated with data reception means.
5. System according to claim 3 or claim 4, characterised in that the said post or posts have at their upper end an obturator, the means for emission and/or reception of the data by radiofrequency comprising an antenna which is integrated in the obturator.
6. System according to any one of claims 1 to 5, characterised in that the impact and/or vibration detection means are integrated on a card which is fixed in a recess of the post.
7. System according to one of claim 1 and 2, characterised in that the data transmission means comprise a cable network.
8. System according to claim 7, characterised in that the cable network is a carrier current network.
9. System according to either claim 7 or claim 8, characterised in that the cable network is located underground and joins the impact and/or vibration detection means by extending into the inside of the post.
10. System according to any one of claims 1 to 9, characterised in that it comprises electrical power supply means which are independent of the impact and/or vibration detection means.
11. System according to claim 10, characterised in that the independent electrical power supply means comprise a photovoltaic panel which is mounted on the post.

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