The main component and basis, on which the gate system is built, is the Intercom System. It's comprised of a clerk console, equipment rack, and lane speaker assembly.
The console is basically a remote control unit on the system, which communicates with the equipment rack to select functions of the system. It also houses a microphone, speaker, headset jack, and volume control. With the console, the clerk can select the lane, or audio station they wish to talk to. The console can also be fitted with camera controls, truck scale weight display, and/or bar code number display automatically linked to the lane selected. Other customizable controls can be added to the console, such as gate arm control.
The equipment rack is the heart of the system. Here all the functions of the system come together and get combined to allow clerks to talk to drivers, control video cameras, automatically acquire scale weight, and report this information to the client's main database.
The lane speaker assembly is mounted in the truck lanes. It is made of stainless steel for durability, and has a microphone, speaker, and call switch. An optional telephone style handset can be added for high noise environments. It can also be fitted with a magnetic stripe card reader for reading identification cards such as drivers licenses.
Other audio stations are available to allow communications with checker booths, or driver service areas, otherwise known as a "trouble phone".
Cameras are installed in the truck lanes to obtain information or perform inspections. When the intercom system selects a lane, the cameras for that lane are automatically selected and can be individually viewed on a video monitor adjacent to the console. Depending on the cameras specific purpose, some cameras are fixed mount, and some are moveable with controls on the console, along with zoom and focus. The most common camera positions and uses are rear container number and side chassis number. Other available views are driver face, tractor license, rooftop inspection, or driver service booth areas. A default camera is usually installed to give an overall view of the gate area and is shown when no lane is selected. Cameras are available in black & white or color. All cameras are mounted in environmental housings and are heated in colder climates.
The L.A. King system can provide data such as scale weight automatically to the terminals computer system. At the lane speaker location, a magnetic card reader, bar code reader, or AEI tag reader (transponder) can be installed. Data acquired from these devices can also be automatically passed along to the terminals computer system when the clerk selects the lane on the console. This eliminates time-consuming, error-prone manual data entry.
In the truck lane, adjacent to the lane speaker, an additional stainless steel enclosure can be installed which houses a ticket printer. Gate passes, routing slips, or interchange receipts can be printed directly to the driver.
These tickets are generally 3 1/2 x 5" or 4 x 6". A PC in the L. A. King system intercepts the tickets from the terminals computer system and routes them to the correct lane to be printed. This printer housing can also have a barcode reader slot, drivers face camera, document drop box, or any other function it's capable of supporting. Depending upon geographic location, heaters and cooling fans are installed in the housing. Printers on the system can also be located in office areas, driver service areas, checker booths, or practically any location needed.
Customized video documentation systems can be designed to record license, driver face, document, or any view you need in a digital format. Images are time/date stamped and stored as image files on a dedicated PC for later retrieval and viewing.
We use the word custom a lot in describing our system and products. That’s because each clients needs are assessed and the system can be configured to meet those needs. Different gate configurations and operating procedures determine how we assemble and configure our system to improve your gate operations. Our system components are adaptable to a wide range of uses. New ideas and new technologies are continually shaping the structure and components of what L. A. King has to offer.
